Queen of hearts
Having bagged the Miss Congeniality title at the Miss Universe contest held in Thailand in December, Ornella Gunesekere shares her experience
When she first heard the news, beauty queen Ornella Gunesekere was in a state of absolute disbelief; she thought the Miss Universe pageant organisers had made a mistake. Only when they reassured her and confirmed that she had indeed been voted as Miss Congeniality by her fellow 93 competitors did the reality sink in. Ornella had become the first Sri Lankan to win the title of Miss Congeniality at Miss Universe. During the local pageant to pick Miss Sri Lanka for Miss Universe, the judges had asked her what she would take with her to the competition if she won and her reply was, ‘I would share a Sri Lankan smile and Sri Lankan hospitality, our warmth.’ That is definitely what she accomplished by bringing home the Miss Congeniality title. Speaking to the beautiful 27- year-old it comes as no surprise that she won the hearts of the other delegates. With her warm, welcoming personality, wide smile and genuine care for the wellbeing of those around her, it is not hard to see her carrying the title of Miss Congeniality.
Quite a veteran at competing in beauty pageants (having represented Sri Lanka in Miss Supranational, Miss Grand and Miss International to name a few), Ornella was still unprepared for the big stage of Miss Universe 2018 . “I thought that being in four pageants would prepare me, but no, they are so fierce. There is so much pressure from the home countries. It was super intense from the time we got off the plane in Thailand.” Some girls were very competitive, and some were very nice, she said, adding that her roommate Miss Guam, Athena McNinch had become “a friend and sister for life”.
She handled the pressure by just being herself, she says. “Being true to who I am and focusing on sharing special moments with each woman — that was not just about competing,” she says. During the pageant, she had quite a fan following as well with many sending her messages of support from all over the world.
Due to scheduling constraints Ornella could not receive her title up on stage however she does share with us another experience that she would remember forever. The day before the finale during the dress rehearsals, Ornella was placed the runner- up of the pageant and had the chance to come down the runway on the arm of American singer, songwriter and actor Ne-Yo. “I got to experience the entire set-up like it was the real deal and that was a surreal moment I would never forget.”
Miss Philippines Catriona Gray was crowned Miss Universe in the glittering contest finale.
Yet the road to success for Ornella was not without stumbling blocks. Facing paralysis in her legs when in her early 20s, Ornella rejected the reality that she would never walk again and pushed herself to overcome her condition. The only girl in her family, she was a student at Holy Family Convent, Bambalapitiya before moving to Lyceum International, Nugegoda. She holds a diploma in tourism and hospitality management from the US and currently works as a director at her family-run business ‘The Party Station’.