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21/07/2017
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Howick's Michelle Isemonger has been crowned Miss International New Zealand 2017 and enters the Miss International ...
Howick's Michelle Isemonger has been crowned Miss International New Zealand 2017 and enters the Miss International competition in Tokyo later this year.
Miss Auckland 2016 is taking on a new challenge by immersing herself into Japanese culture, to compete in one of the four biggest global beauty contests.
Howick's very own Michelle Isemonger was crowned Miss International New Zealand earlier this year and will take the stage in the Miss International pageant in Tokyo in November.
"I've always been interested in Japanese culture and wanted to go to Tokyo. It's right up my alley, I'm so excited," she says.
The 18-year-old will be up against 69 effusive beauties from around the world competing for the winner's crown.
"The pageant is based on cultural diversity and understanding. It's a matter of talking about what you believe cultural diversity is, and how it applies to you," she says.
Isemonger believes she has an advantage being from New Zealand.
"It's the most amazing country because it's so culturally diverse."
While in Tokyo, she will spend a month getting involved in Japanese culture.
"They get you up in the morning to do martial arts, you get the opportunity to dress up in kimonos and war gear, do flower arrangements and everything like that," she says.
To really blend in, the University of Auckland student plans on taking a paper to learn Japanese.
"The girl who won Miss International last year said the first half of her speech in Japanese and the other half in English."
Isemonger is gathering plenty of evening gowns and sponsors to keep her afloat during the competition.
She's also decided to collect 70 small presents as a kind gesture, another nod toward the Japanese tradition of giving.
For the past seven months, Isemonger has been involved in a number of events to further her involvement in charity, describing it a "roller coaster ride".
From cocktail parties to fashion shows, talking at retirement villages and filling her home with second-hand goods to donate, it's been all go for the multi-tasker.
During her Miss Auckland reign she's supported the Ronald McDonald House charity and has since picked up two more charities: Project Hope, a sub-charity of Mother of Divine Mercy, and Alzheimers NZ.
Isemonger says it's all thanks to her involvement in the beauty contests.
"The difference it makes in the girls' lives and who they're raising money for, everything is affected in such a positive way.
"I don't think I'd be the person I am today without the pageants, which is incredible."
- Stuff
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