The road to the Miss World coronation night has been anything but smooth for Philippine representative Tracy Maureen Perez. It took several delays for the local Miss World Philippines pageant to push through. After enduring long hours on stage on October 3 (until October 4), Tracy was proclaimed the country’s representative.
In late November, the 28-year old Cebuana traveled for more than 24 hours to reach Puerto Rico, the international pageant venue. Throughout her month-long stint in Puerto Rico, Tracy shone. She made it to the top five of Miss World’s Beauty with a Purpose challenge, where she championed single parents. At the same time, she earned a spot in the pageant’s Top 30 for winning the second round of the Head to Head Challenge.
The coveted Miss World crown was well within her reach. And that is why Tracy and the rest of the pageant-loving world were shocked to learn that the coronation night for the Miss World 2021 competition was postponed. A few hours before the event started, the Miss World organization announced that the pageant would be moved to a later due to COVID-19 infections among contestants and event staff.
In a lengthy, heartfelt Instagram post, Tracy Maureen Perez admitted that “it’s been a rollercoaster of emotions.” However, she remained hopeful and graceful, even announcing that she was already working with the Miss World Philippine organization to help Typhoon Odette victims.
More than a month after her Instagram post on Odette relief, Tracy is back on social media. In a carousel post, Tracy shared, “Grateful for the time off – to be able to disconnect and appreciate the gift of serenity; to better understand myself, the people around me, and the ever-changing situations we are all in; and to recharge and to fight the silent battles with faith and hope for the future.” She also encouraged everyone to “work hard together to rebuild, recover, and triumph over anything that may come our way.”
Tracy has yet to announce when she’s flying back to Puerto Rico to continue her Miss World journey. What we do know is that the Miss World coronation night will be held on March 16, 2022, at the José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum in Puerto Rico. Let’s hope her month-long break has recharged her to get back in the competition with a renewed fighting spirit.
Art Daniella Sison
