For newly-crowned Miss Universe Philippines Michelle Dee, life is about ‘Mind over matter.’
Miss Universe Philippines 2023 Michelle Dee is indeed an unstoppable queen after joining and completing the challenging Spartan Race held on Saturday, May 27, 2023.
The race, which demanded participants to conquer challenging obstacles, tested their physical and mental prowess. These hurdles include crawling through muddy pits, climbing walls, lifting heavy objects, and many more.
“MIND [OVER] MATTER,” Michelle captioned her Instagram post showing a clip of her during the Spartan race.
“#DEEtermination can really get you places and conquer more. I had a blast conquering the @spartanraceph with @merrell_ph today. The heat was INTENSE but it was definitely worth it,” she added.
Michelle Dee and her sexuality
While her success in the race was a feat in itself, the reigning Miss Universe further showed her bravado after sharing that she is part of the LGBTQIA++ community.
Michelle’s revelation came right on the heels of her teenage photos resurfacing after her win.
In a recent magazine interview, the newly crowned Philippine representative took control of the narrative by coming out as bisexual.
READ ALSO: Miss Universe PH Michelle Dee Comes Out As Bisexual
“I definitely identify myself as bisexual. I’ve identified with that for as long as I can remember. I’m attracted to all forms of beauty, all shapes and sizes,” she said.
Michelle shared that she was advised to come out during her time as a Miss Universe Philippines 2023 candidate but she declined, saying she would rather shift the focus to her advocacy for autism awareness.
“My identity is not what I want to be remembered for. I felt like coming out during the competition would shock everyone, and cloud everyone’s judgment,” she said, stressing that she has “so much more to offer to the world and the universe than how I identify myself.”
And while she initially wanted to do things “within my own timeline,” she rather felt the need to set the record straight as a public figure to empower others.
“I want to come out with this story because I know that those photos were spread with malicious intent — to kind of distract me, make me feel I’m not worthy of the crown,” she explained.
Michelle has been in the pageant scene for several years, having competed at the Miss World 2019 where she placed in Top 12. She then joined the Miss Universe Philippines 2022 where she fell short against eventual winner Celeste Cortesi and took the Miss Universe Philippines Tourism 2022 title.
This year, Michelle emerged as the victor as she will be representing the Philippines in the next Miss Universe edition in El Salvador.
Banner Art Dani Sison
