Vanessa Ponce de León is a Mexican model and beauty queen who was crowned Miss World 2018. She is the first Mexican to be crowned as Miss World.
A beauty with brains, Vanessa holds a degree in International Commerce from the University of Guanajuato and is also a licensed scuba driver.
She supports non-profit foundations in different social areas. She speaks the English language with fluency, in addition to her mother tongue, Spanish. She has a diploma in human rights. She volunteers with an organization called “Migrants on the Road” which consists of serving migrants in certain states of the Mexican Republic , and she is also a speaker at the “National Institute of Youth” in Mexico.
In the ceremony of her coronation as Miss World 2018, she promoted her project called “Na Vili”, whose objective is to help the children of the indigenous day laborers who emigrate from State of Guerrero, Mexico to State of Guanajuato, Mexico. She also works in a school called Nenemi that is dedicated to giving intercultural education to indigenous people.
An incredible woman, with an even more inspiring line of work, Women Fitness joins the ever-gorgeous beauty, Vanessa Ponce on her journey to becoming Miss World 2018.
Namita Nayyar:
Starting off as a full-time model and achieving Miss World 2018 title doing your country proud must have been full of commitment and hard work. Share with us some enlightening moments of this journey?
Vanessa Ponce:
I never thought I would be Miss World. I started modelling to help my family and after the reality show I became a professional model. Life was good but it felt empty, so I decided to search for something more meaningful, that’s when I found that my heart was in volunteering, it was this that led me to the Miss World stage and ‘Beauty With A Purpose’. When I realised that my mission was to help others everything became simple, and later on the right opportunities came along. I worked hard and everything I learnt, led me to being crowned Miss World.
Namita Nayyar:
You are a licensed scuba diver that again calls for fitness. What are your favourite sports you have played while growing up and continue to practice?
Vanessa Ponce:
Scuba diving is my true passion, it can make my heart beat so fast with excitement or I can go into deep meditation, literally. It requires more mental strength than people think.
As a child I was totally into volleyball. I was part of the state team as well as the college team. I wasn’t good at sports whatsoever, people were always making fun of me, but I worked harder than anyone else as I wanted to prove them wrong. Eventually I started running, which is something I love. I have run lots of 10k races and I love it. I haven’t run a marathon but I know I can run for hours and it is something I’ve set my sights on in the future.
Then I found ultimate frisbee and it is the sport of my dreams:. I joined a local team and was mesmerized by the action, the teamwork and the technique. It’s a sport where you work all your body, you run, jump, throw and catch. You have to work as a team and think strategically. But the best of all is the people, ultimate frisbee people such a friendly and welcoming community wherever you are in the world. This is great for me as I travel a lot and I can go online in any country a find a team I can join in, they welcome you with a warm smile and let you be part of them.
Full interview is continued on next page
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All Written Content Copyright © 2019 Women Fitness
Namita Nayyar:
Modeling career can be both demanding and stressful along with the glamour factor. How have you coped with all that, do share 5 tips with upcoming models?
Vanessa Ponce:
1. Healthy is beautiful. The industry makes you think that you are prettier the skinnier you get, and by trying to meet those expectations it’s easy for models to get into unhealthy eating habits. I have seen some of my friends fall into those bad habits and never get out of those cycles and ended up in the hospital. Sick is not sexy, or elegant or chic. Healthy is beautiful, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
2. Get an education. Education is not only about knowing accounting or laws, it’s also about social skills. Understanding how to manage yourself in social occasions and being qualified to have conversations with people from all walks of life. I started modelling after college and when I got into castings I found myself talking to directors, producers and technicians about multiple subjects, this lead me to have more bookings as they got to know me. Having a good education is important whatever field of work.
3. Always help others. If you start to get a lot of attention it can be easy to let your success go to your head. Then you start making wrong choices and change your core values. To keep your feet on the ground, help others. Find something to do for the community around you, the secret to success is sharing. Use your influence to create a positive impact . And always stay humble.
4. Dont take rejection personally. Rejection in this industry is normal, models live with it every single day. Don’t take it personally, either you are what they are looking for or you are not, but it doesn’t matter. Embrace yourself and be proud of your individuality
5. Be patient. It took me almost a year to start booking jobs regularly, don’t fall into despair, it is a process. Be disciplined and work on yourself to become the best option at any casting.
Namita Nayyar:
An optimum balanced diet is a significant factor to look and feel your best? What is your diet routine. Foods you love to eat, advise women to eat? 5 foods you avoid in your diet?
Vanessa Ponce:
Well I have tried some of diets. My conclusion is that we only need to eat a healthy balanced diet. Personally I try to avoid sugar, carbs and all processed products. I feel healthier for not eating these. But I am also a believer that everything in moderation every now and then is OK. Once a week I treat myself to ice cream or pizza…let’s face it, we all deserve pizza once in a while!
I avoid: pasta, candies, soda, bread and alcohol.
Namita Nayyar:
NGO’s you are presently attached with? You are also a member of the Board of Directors of a Rehab center for girls. What does your role involve?
Vanessa Ponce:
In addition to being a member of the Board of Directors part also I run workshops for the girls at the rehab centre. This means I’m involved in the decision making and directly in the rehab treatment of the girls.
I’m also involved in Comunidad Loyola, where I have my ‘Beauty With A Purpose’ project called NA Vali which focuses on supporting Indigenous kids in extreme poverty, I work with Migrantes en el camino, a shelter for migrants from Central America and also El manantial, a house for people with disabilities.
Namita Nayyar:
“I can’t believe it, I really can’t believe it… And I think all the girls deserved it. ” were your words after winning the title. Why so?
Vanessa Ponce:
When you get to compete at Miss World you can see that all the woman are incredibly smart and talented.. You can’t compare in terms of beauty because we are all individuals from different backgrounds and walks of life. We all have different projects and stand for specific causes through our ‘Beauty With A Purpose’ projects. The judges are the ones to decide and I feel blessed to be chosen that night and will be forever grateful.
Namita Nayyar:
The youth today is highly becoming dependent on junk food and alcohol due to multiple reasons. Being a speaker for the National Youth Institute according to you how can they be motivated towards healthy lifestyle choices in order to fight physical, mental and emotional challenges?
Vanessa Ponce:
I think what people are not conscious about is how great a healthy body feels. When you give your body what it needs you are unstoppable, you can think better, you are stronger, faster and happier. It’s hard with young people because probably they have never faced sickness, so what I do is motivate them and teach them that they can achieve their goals through changing their lifestyle. This includes eating at the right time, exercising, reading and being disciplined…this leads to a healthier lifestyle overall and they suddenly feel better, look better and gain lots of confidence.
Namita Nayyar:
With that flawless skin & shining hair. Share with us your daily skin & hair care routine?
Vanessa Ponce:
A good diet and sleep are the key to good hair and skin. To be honest the better you eat and the more water you get the shinier the hair, the nails grow and your skin looks perfect. Also getting a regular eight hours of sleep makes the difference. If you don’t get enough sleep your skin and hair dehydrates, wrinkles begin to appear and your skin loses its shine.
Namita Nayyar:
Being a Miss World doesn’t just require a person to be beautiful, but also exceptionally smart and a good human being. What were the question and the answer that decided your final victory for the crown?
Vanessa Ponce:
I have watched the video all over again, that whole part of my participation is lost in my mind. The judges asked me: How could, Would you use your influence to help others as Miss World?
I replied that I would do it the same way as I’ve been doing it for the past years, being an example of all the good we can do. Using social media as a tool to impact on people and showing that anyone can help, no matter what career we chose we can always help and share ourselves.
Namita Nayyar:
You told the Miss World organization that your personal motto is “We all need each other.” Please elaborate?
Vanessa Ponce:
We weren’t born in an empty world, we were born into a place full of people who share the same emotions – laugh, cry and grieve. I believe we are all connected and the biggest changes happen when we take collective actions. The strength of humanity comes with unity and we all have to recognise that we all need each other.
Namita Nayyar:
Five things we will always find in your gym bag?
Vanessa Ponce:
- Water
- Banana
- Gloves
- Frisbee
- Hoodie
Namita Nayyar:
Top three travel destinations that you absolutely love?
Vanessa Ponce:
- Thailand
- Uganda
- Philippines
Namita Nayyar:
What opinion do you hold of Women Fitness (https://www.womenfitnes.net), also a message for your fans and followers?
Vanessa Ponce:
Women fitness is such a great place to find tips and advice on how to achieve a healthier lifestyle. Thank you Women’s Fitness for inspiring us to love and make the most of our bodies!
To all my friends reading this, thank you for the support and if you want to keep track of my ‘Beauty With A Purpose’ project and my year as Miss World you can follow me www.missworld.com
- Instagram @Missworld
- Facebook @Missworld
- Twitter @MissWorldLtd
Know more about her journey on Instagram.
Women Fitness Team extends a special thanks to The Miss World Organization for facilitating the interview with Ms. Ponce.
All content on this site is copyright of Women Fitness and no part of any article found on this site may be reproduced without an express permission and highlighted, do follow link crediting http:// www.womenfitness.net/ or preferably the original page as the source. This interview is exclusive and taken by Namita Nayyar President womenfitness.net and should not be reproduced, copied or hosted in part or full anywhere without an express permission.
All Written Content Copyright © 2019 Women Fitness