A chat with Miss International 2012 Madusha Mayadunne

17 August 2012 👁 8,681 views

Being judged as the sole representative for your country is not exactly a commonplace occurrence for anyone and certainly wouldn’t be considered easy; but for Miss International 2012 Madusha Mayadunne, it’s something she’s been doing all her life and plans to continue for as long as she can.

The daughter of an admiral in the navy who was posted around the globe due to his position, Madusha can easily identify with the term ‘global citizen’. Having been educated in Sri Lanka, India, England and USA, she credits her diverse upbringing for exposing her to various cultures; which in turn taught her greatly about people. She believes that diversity in education is very important, more so than a textbook education.

It was while schooling in England that Madusha, being the only Sri Lankan, found herself educating people about her beloved homeland. She recalls patiently explaining details about the country and culture to those who were curious. “I have always felt that I have been an ambassador of sorts for my country because the alumni would come and ask me about Sri Lanka, and they would then judge the country through me, so I always felt I had to uphold the right image for them.”

After completing high school in England, she made the transition to St. Louis, USA to pursue a degree in bio-medical research. It was there that her initial career in modeling took off.

“I never actually thought of modelling but then I was approached by scouts who said I should. Even in England, I was approached but at that time, I didn’t have the right attitude for it and my parents were not with me. The second time around, I was more mature and educated, so once I started I was able to balance it with my studies.”

Madusha describes the experience as life changing for her as modelling made it possible for her to meet and mix with influential people, along with gaining good exposure. As a scholarship student who was supporting herself through part-time work, modelling came as a lucky break for her. She is particularly grateful for the scholarships she received for her education in both USA and England as believes she wouldn’t have been able to achieve all that she has today if it wasn’t for them.

While schooling in England, the statuesque beauty took part in extracurricular activities such as canoeing, archery and kayaking, which she credits for keeping her slim figure and says if she had the time she would like to continue that again. For now, to keep in shape she follows an exercise regime of yoga and pilates but believes in simply eating healthy and living a healthy lifestyle to stay fit.

After modelling for several months under a contract, alongside writing a thesis on psychology, Madusha decided to return to Sri Lanka and eventually entered the Miss Universe Sri Lanka 2012 pageant.

It was a life changing experience for her. “The pageant teaches you to trust in yourself and know that if you work hard things will come to you. We formed such a tight bond that even after the pageant, most of the contestants do keep in touch; I’m definitely close with a lot of them.”

These days between interviews and basking in some of the post pageant glamour, she is hard at work preparing for the upcoming Miss International pageant in Okinawa, Japan this October.

Currently brushing up on her communication skills under corporate communications trainer Lorreta Gunawardene, Madusha says it’s vital to learn how to answer questions clearly in the small period of time given to speak to the judges. Notable designer, Andre Stefan is also working alongside her to create all the dresses she will be wearing at the pageant.

“My goal for the Miss International pageant is to portray the strong women and culture in this country. We have proven ourselves so much already and we as a country have so much to offer. This pageant really is about world peace and Sri Lanka can play a great role in that because we have achieved peace and we have sustained it. So my main message will be to promote unity among cultures and ethnic groups.”

As for future goals, she says, “I think my dream career would be to have a diplomatic position though my ultimate dream would be to travel to all the countries while representing Sri Lanka. So maybe even a position with the tourist board. Right now, I just want to savour the Miss International experience, and live this year to the fullest before going forward. That’s my rule in life, when I take up a task; I finish that before I start another.”

Interview by Lake Argent

Pics by Waruna Wanniarachchi