Jul 10 - Interview With Hannah Bado - Miss Gibraltar 2015
It was a dream come true for primary school teacher Hannah Bado when she was crowned Miss Gibraltar 2015 on Saturday night.
The 22-year-old said she is up for the challenge, and wants to take this opportunity to become a role model for the younger generations as well as become an ambassador for Gibraltar.
It’s been almost a week since Hannah was crowned Miss Gibraltar, and the St Joseph’s School teacher says she is overwhelmed with the words of encouragement and well wishes she’s been given both in person and online.
Modest and well-spoken, Hannah kindly took the time to speak to Your Gibraltar TV, giving an insight to who she is and what she wants to achieve as Miss Gibraltar 2015.
It’s nearly been a week since the pageant, how do you feel about becoming Miss Gibraltar?
It’s nerve-wracking in the sense that you go into a beauty pageant and you know you want to become Miss Gibraltar. It’s terrifying because I feel like I have a lot ahead of me, but I’m excited because I know I’ll get a lot out of this experience and I’ll try my best. I am up for the challenge and I believe in myself, I’m also a very ambitious person.
And how did you feel on the night?
I was really, really happy and just over the moon. I remember just hugging Shyanne, and I wasn’t even supposed to hug her I was supposed to walk down and meet the Mayor, Adolfo Canepa. It was just the best moment of my life.
Former Miss Gibraltar Shyanne Azzopardi made herself known in Gibraltar for her work in the community. Do you feel like you have some pretty big shoes to fill?
This is exactly the reason why I find it so awe-inspiring because I know that even though I am my own person, and there’s no pressure on me, I want to be as involved with the community as Shyanne was. I really look up to her and everything she has done, and I want to be remembered as she will be – as a very active member of our community.
Which charity have you decided to support during your year as Miss Gibraltar?
This year the format changed, and I have yet to decide on which charity to support. I think it’s going to be a mix of various charities, maybe a charity for cancer, a charity for children and one for animals because I am an animal lover.
How did you prepare for the Miss Gibraltar pageant?
It was hard work. There were a lot of rehearsals and a lot of discipline in the sense – you have to make sure you are getting enough sleep, going to the gym, eating the right foods, and keeping on top of all of your appointments for your hair, nails.
And as for the dress? What made you choose a red dress?
I wasn’t sure what colour to go for, and Christian recommended I go for red, and I listened to him. I looked up a lot of dresses online and took lots of screen shots and we put it all together. I explained what I wanted to Dorcas Hammond and we worked together to design the final dress.
On the night, people on Twitter and Facebook said your dress looked like the red dancer emoji. How did you feel about that?
That was really funny, I didn’t realise it looked like the emoji but everyone was congratulating me with that emoji and I was wondering why they were doing that. It was only when someone told me I looked like the emoji that it clicked, but it’s quite funny and I now have an emoji to remind me of my dress from the night.
What do you think you will bring to your role as Miss Gibraltar?
I hope to be a good role model for younger generations, and especially as I am a schoolteacher, I’m quite confident with schoolchildren and public speaking. I already know that children in the school are looking up to me, especially the girls. And just go to Miss World and try my best, to show people who we really are and try my best.
How did your friends and family react when you won?
They were ecstatic. I remember when I won, the whole group just jumped up and started cheering. A lot of my friends and family came to support me, including friends from England. They were in tears of joy, and no one in my family has ever done something like this, so they are all extremely proud.
My dad has been telling everyone that his daughter is now Miss Gibraltar and my mum has been a great support.
I also have to mention my boyfriend Stefan, who has been a great support as well as a shoulder to cry on and the person to vent to. He has been my pillar of strength.
How would you describe the whole Miss Gibraltar experience for anyone who would like to join in the future?
I would recommend this to everyone - it truly was the best experience of my life. I know many girls say this and I always thought it mustn’t be true, they all say the same thing. But it is true, it really was the best experience of my life, and I’ve made some really good friends and you challenge yourself in ways that you wouldn’t otherwise.
I’ve gained a lot of self-confidence and especially working with a great team - Christian Santos, Gillaine Alman and Charlene Figueras - they are great at what they do and they prepare you for everything and to be your best when you’re on stage.
Are you looking forward to Miss World?
Definitely, I can’t wait. I think it’s going to be amazing going to China, and my friends and family want to come. I’ve never been involved in singing or dancing, so to represent Gibraltar in this is perfect for me, and I look forward to going out there and meeting as many people as possible.
So tell me a bit about yourself? What are your plans for the summer now that school is over?
I’m no stranger to charity, I’ve worked with the FLIP project at school and raised money for Cheshire Homes before heading off to study teaching at Kingston University. I’m looking forward to spending this summer getting started on my charity work, and decide what I’m going to do to raise money.
In my spare time, I like to keep fit and go to the gym, and I love spending time with my friends.
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