Longtime beauty queen hopeful Rousanne “Ayn” Bernos is finally fulfilling her dream to enter the most esteemed beauty pageant in the national pageantry after it has scrapped off its height requirements.
Ayn, a TikTok personality, podcaster and founder of clothing label Morena The Label, is announced as one of the Top 100 delegates of Miss Universe Philippines 2021 which will send its winner to represent the country in the upcoming 70th edition of Miss Universe.
The 26-year-old content creator and entrepreneur stands at five foot and three inches (5’3), one value away from the former minimum height requirement for Miss Universe Philippines delegates.
Previously, applicants have a requirement of a minimum of five foot and four inches (5’4) to qualify for the beauty pageant.
Last month, the Miss Universe Philippines Organization announced that it will remove the minimum height requirement for its contestants.
This has prompted Ayn to send in her application “on the spot.”
“A couple of months ago, when Miss Universe Philippines announced that they would be opening the application to everybody, no height requirements! Magic words for me. I applied on the spot, I dropped everything, send in my application that day,” she shared in a TikTok video on Tuesday.
Ayn admitted that her being qualified in the beauty pageant was a surprise.
“It feels so surreal but this has been many, many years in the making. When I was a kid, I would always stay up late to watch major pageants. I looked up to these beauty queens, I have so much respect for them, I admire them so much and I’ve always wanted to be like them,” she shared.
“But at the same time, as a pageant fan, I also knew that I was not qualified. But because I am a fighter and I am a dreamer, I promise myself that the moment that I could apply, I would apply,” Ayn added.
She also expressed her gratitude to those who believed in her and encouraged her to apply as a Miss Universe Philippines contestant and shared that she is not just in the beauty pageant to compete.
“To everybody who sent in their messages, to everybody who tagged me, believed in me, rooted for me, even though I didn’t announce anything, even though I wasn’t saying anything, thank you, and you were right,” Ayn said.
“I was always dreaming of this, I always planned for this, and I’m very, very serious about joining Miss Universe Philippines. I’m not just here to compete, I am here to fulfill a promise that I made myself many years ago,” she added.
“I promise young Ayn that I would try if I could. And so, I’m here today. And to every young girl out there, who dares to dream, it’s possible,” the content creator further said.
The coronation night for Miss Universe Philippines 2021 is on September 25, when Miss Universe Philippines 2020 Rabiya Mateo is set to crown her successor.
From an initial batch of 100 delegates, only 30 finalists will compete in the national pageant. They will then undergo virtual challenges.
RELATED: Fans drop funny suggestions for ‘virtual challenges’ of Miss Universe Philippines 2021 pageant
The Philippines has produced four Miss Universe titleholders so far, namely Miss Universe 1969 Gloria Diaz, Miss Universe 1973 Margie Moran, Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach and Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray.
