Winfred Omwakwe

Winfred Adah Omwakwe (born 1 January 1981) is a Kenyan model and beauty queen who was crowned Miss Earth 2002, becoming the first black woman and first African to hold the title. Omwakwe is also the first Kenyan woman to hold a major international beauty pageant title. She originally placed as the first runner-up at Miss Earth, but ascended to the throne when the original winner Džejla Glavović was dethroned for failing to fulfill her duties.[1][2][3][4]

Winfred Omwakwe
Winfred during Miss Earth 2002
Born
Winfred Adah Omwakwe

(1981-01-01) 1 January 1981
Nairobi, Kenya
Alma materInternational University of Monaco
Height1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
TitleMiss Earth Kenya 2002
Miss Earth 2002
Beauty pageant titleholder
Hair colorBlack
Eye colorBrown
Major
competition(s)		Miss Earth Kenya 2002
(Winner)
Miss Earth 2002
(1st Runner-Up)[lower-alpha 1]

She has a master's degree in public relations from the International University of Monaco.

Early life

Omwakwe's dad died when she was 10, and her mother died when Omwakwe was 12. She is the youngest in a sibling of three. Her brother, the eldest, is a lawyer, who is in cargo handling. Her sister is also a lawyer.[3] They acted as her surrogate parents after their parents died.[5]

Omwakwe is a member of the Luhya tribe.[5]

She graduated from the Institute of Health Care Management in Kenya, where she received a physiotherapy certificate. She comes from Nairobi and stands 5 ft 9 in (175 cm).[5]

She was also a finalist in Miss Universe Kenya 2001, but was unable to capture the title. She later came in second in the Miss Tourism Kenya pageant and flew to Manila to represent her country at the Miss Earth pageant.[5]

Miss Earth 2002

Omwakwe, 21, became Kenya's representative to Miss Earth, after she finished as one of the winners in the 2002 Miss Tourism World Kenya pageant.[5] She participated in the second edition of Miss Earth beauty pageant, which was held in Quezon City, Philippines on 29 October 2002.[6][7] Džejla Glavović of Bosnia-Herzegovina won the Miss Earth 2002 title and Omwakwe as the first runner-up.[8][9]

On 28 May 2003, Carousel Productions, the organisation that produces Miss Earth beauty pageant, officially dethroned Glavović "due to her failure to comply with the stipulations in her contract." First runner-up Omwakwe took over the position of Miss Earth 2002.[5][10][11] She was formally crowned as the new Miss Earth 2002 on 7 August 2003 at the Carousel Gardens in Mandaluyong City, Philippines.[3][4] She said of her appointment, "I was stunned and couldn’t believe it. But then I saw the congratulatory messages in my e-mail and I received calls from all over. That’s when I was convinced it wasn’t a hoax."[5]

Notes
  1. Omwakwe was originally the first runner-up, but received the title after the original winner Džejla Glavović was dethroned.
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References
  1. Palmero, Paul (18 June 2005). "Pageant History". Pageant Almanac. Retrieved 7 January 2008.
  2. West, Donald (18 December 2007). "Miss Earth History". Pageantopolis. Archived from the original on 16 December 2007. Retrieved 7 January 2008.
  3. Yazon, Giovanni Paolo J. (14 August 2003). "Miss Kenya is now Miss Earth". Manila Standard Today. Retrieved 10 January 2009.
  4. Lo, Ricardo F. (10 December 2008). "A Gallery of Black Beauty Queens". The Philippine Star. Retrieved 10 January 2009.
  5. Lo, Ricardo F.; Vanzi, Sol Jose (11 August 2003). "Kenyan is Miss Earth". Philippine Headline News Online/Philippine Star. Retrieved 10 January 2009.
  6. Diaz, Illac (7 October 2002). "Around Miss Earth in 56 ways". Manila St andard Today. Retrieved 10 January 2009.
  7. Couceiro, Dolores (30 October 2002). "Miss Tierra 2002". Concursos de Belleza. Archived from the original on 29 January 2009. Retrieved 10 January 2009.
  8. Diaz, Illac (22 October 2002). "Beauties walk out on Miss Earth". Manila Standard Today. Retrieved 10 January 2009.
  9. Nguyen, Ha (27 October 2003). "South-eastern beauty enters Miss Earth Contest". VietNamNet Bridge. Archived from the original on 25 January 2007. Retrieved 10 January 2009.
  10. Cowing, Emma (13 May 2008). "Green Goddesses". The Scotsman, Scotland. Retrieved 10 January 2009.
  11. Mutunga, Kamau (7 September 2010). "When beauty means more than the shape of the face". Daily Nation. Retrieved 19 July 2011.
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