By Vishani Ragobeer

Ederle Kimberly Stephen put in the legwork and was duly rewarded by capturing the Miss Caricom title last Saturday.
The 21-year-old told the Buzz that the virtual organisation of this year’s pageant was certainly different from what was the ‘norm’. There was no live audience to gauge how much you were favoured and no judges were scrutinising your every action. Instead, she said, it was “uncomfortable” just speaking to her phone.

Well, the COVID-19 pandemic is to blame for the unorthodox engagement. But, for the Guyanese girl, she was focused on the universal stage mantra: “The show must go on!”

She relied on the feedback she received throughout the various segments of the competition, to improve herself as she progressed. In the end, she was able to edge past her sisters from the other Caribbean nations.

“I know it sounds cheesy and it may seem a little boastful… but the only reason that I stood out is because I felt like I gave it 110 percent, I gave it more than what it required,” she posited.

That is also what she encourages anyone to do; once you prepare adequately, a great outcome can be expected, she contended. Her acceptance that she placed her best foot forward is part of her journey with self-appreciation and self-love.

Ederle is not oblivious to the massive support she received, which propelled her through the competition and kept her grounded. Her pageant-renowned local designer Randy Madray, photographer Anthony Indar (who she says defines efficiency) and choreographer of her talent piece, Kelton Jennings were all instrumental. Her family’s support was also key.

The final segment of the pageant was held on Saturday. Afterwards, while Ederle had her Livestream setup ready, she was joined by the man who had initially encouraged her to take part in the pageant.

“Then when my name was called (announcing that she had won) and he started to pull out the stuff from his suit bag, I was like OH MY GOD,” she recalled, smiling through her words.
It was known beforehand that she would have won, and he was there to crown and adorn her with the “Miss Caricom 2020” sash.

She reflected, “It was a nice experience even though it was online, you could see that the organisation put a lot of thought into it.”
Ederle is hoping to use her Miss Caricom title to catapult herself into more local and international pageants. The opportunity to express herself and inspire others has been a humbling one, and well, the feedback she has received thus far has encouraged her all the more. Aside from pageantry, the ‘Queen’ emphasised that she will focus on finishing her medical studies. According to her, “School comes first.”

“She is going to be a force to be reckoned with in the pageant arena and I think this is her first step towards making an impact within the industry for Guyana,” Ederle’s Coach and Designer Randy Madray opined.
He also made special note of her patriotism and humility, qualities which helped her to stand out in the competition.