85 quotes found
"I'm no politician. I think my being Miss Universe will show people that Israel has another side, not only war."
"I am so surprised by New York City. I thought New York must be ugly and unpleasant, you know, I saw all those movies about New York….But New York is beautiful and the people here are really nice."
"All I want is to continue to study….I want to learn about everything, about people, about life."
"As Miss Universe I can reach people who are usually not interested in politics and are not familiar with the problems of the Mideast. In that way I can make a modest contribution to peace. And another thing: as Miss Universe I can show the world that life in Israel is not all war."
"Great challenges can also be areas of great strength."
"We ought to tackle this problem [HIV/AIDS] and further improve our behaviour."
"I am very honoured that the United Nations Population Fund has realized the potential of what I could do in my country concerning the HIV/AIDS pandemic."
"I believe that through my determination and love for Botswana, I can successfully, through the United Nations Population Fund, accomplish my goal of seeing the HIV statistics drop and having the women of Botswana get the necessary reproductive health care and facilities they need."
"I was more the natural type, 1.78 meters tall, very slim."
"I was an engineer, and they wanted a model, a fashionable guy."
"In Hollywood, I quickly realized that life there with him wasn't for me - I dreamed of sitting on a bench with my partner by a lake with a boat on it, a forest house in the background."
"No living thing exists in isolation. A little empathy can go a long way"
"Well, I think the biggest pressure the youth of today is facing is to believe in themselves. To know that you are unique and that's what makes you beautiful. Stop comparing yourselves with others and let's talk about more important things that are happening worldwide. I think this is what you need to understand. Come out, speak for yourself, because you are the leader of your life. You are the voice of your own. I believed in myself and that's why I am standing here today."
"Leila Lopes of Angola is crowned Miss Universe; retrieved on September 13, 2011"
"Angola crowned winner of Miss Universe pageant"
"Being there. The scenario was like a movie. SA was not welcomed by the world. I entered to help publicise the first multi-racial pageant. Won it. The pageant was held at a time of strained relations for SA, although the people accepted me and loved me as an individual."
"I wanted to honour the countries I visited. There’s tradition and protocol. I travelled with a World Almanac. It’s books that were printed before computers that you could carry in your purse. They had the history of each country so I’d read up on the plane. Almost always someone in the press would ask about a political hot potato at my reception at the airport upon arrival. I was never caught off guard."
"In those days, it wasn’t really thought of. You had your turn in the spotlight, and you stepped aside so the next person could shine as you went about your life. I do believe that in how I’ve conducted myself, that the ideals of inclusion, advocacy and representation have been delivered. I’ve always tried to be authentic and encourage the idea that we are more than others projections. I’ve also tried to be a social ambassador for South Africa. We are a world in one nation. We’ve done things few countries have been able to do. If the world invested in us our expertise would deliver at the highest level."
"It is kind of ironic reflecting back that these themes that are sewn into the psychology of Damaged Beauty: Joey Superstar – the subtext to the glamor and glitter of the world of movies and modeling – are actually themes I’ve spent my life proving. Do not be defined by others. Be your authentic self. Do not crumble in the face of adversity. Important themes that I’ve lived and that I hope resonate with women. Laughter. Of course that Joey Superstar is a wild woman with no understanding that that is what she needs to do and sets the world on fire as she fights to find herself is the fuel of the story. But the stuff will infiltrate your heart and your psyche is this theme I’ve lived my life by."
"Margaret Gardiner Looks Back on Her Reign as Miss Universe,Staff Writer, (December 9, 2024), retrieved 2025-04-05"
"One of the most exciting aspects of the evolution of representing South Africa internationally is the inclusivity that encompasses the diversity of beauty"
"Beauty is the combination of mind, body, soul, the desire to be your best and bring out the best in others"
"It is such a huge honour. I was crowned a lifetime ago. Almost half a century ago. To be entrusted to help change another young girl’s life is not just a gift but a responsibility"
"Finding someone who can wear the crown, connect with people and navigate what the world throws at you while inspiring too, is an exciting prospect. However, I'm also thrilled to return to Mexico."
"It's always inner quality. A glow that encompasses a personality and intellect that surprises you, intrigues you and makes you reconsider a known"
"A lot of contestants don’t smile. Smiling is an immediate invitation and message of connection. I look for people who do not give me the answer they have been coached to give me. You won the title to represent your country by being you. Be your best, give and receive, and have fun."
"I give her the same advice I’d give any contestant from any country. Know your worth. Stand tall. Use your voice. This is your moment to shine, to inspire, to connect with the world."
"The whole world is watching. Know your message. Speak your truth. Believe in the possibility of destiny and make it yours."
"Miss Universe 1978, Margaret Gardiner makes her comeback at the globally acclaimed Miss Universe stage,Kamogelo Makhura,(Oct 29, 2024) retrieved 2025-04-05"
"as life changes, one does in fact get older but birthdays simply “etch a notch on your record of experiences."
"no one can pull wool over his eyes, he should do well, for he is an old soul trapped in that young body."
"It all comes back to discipline and moderation. I was probably always an intermittent faster, before it was trending because I am not one for breakfast. Some hot water with lemon would do just fine. I don’t have a penchant for meat, I eat a lot of fish and vegetables, and I am not an alcoholic drinker. I must admit we Fitzes have a sweet tooth, so ice cream is my indulgence as you would have noticed."
"You must assist the ageing joints, maintain flexibility, centre your mental health, clear your lymph nodes and exercise regulated breathing rhythms."
"I am not a night owl and I have one big meal a day followed by soup and probably some organic herbal teas."
"You must be diligent and follow a daily regime with dedicated discipline."
"I am not in love with material things. The greatest joy, I experienced was as a goodwill ambassador with the Sasamani Foundation, empowering gender equity, working in places as far afield as Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia and, right here in the Caribbean, Haiti and Jamaica."
"like everything else in life, what you’re bringing informs what you take from a beauty pageant. I was raised as a hard worker, fair and kind, and that’s what I think I brought to the pageant world."
"I am a woman of faith, shamelessly, and you can’t buy that quality, you can’t train it into someone."
"the women and men who stand the test of time and who may not even be in the spotlight — they have a combination of the physical and the indefinable. That ethereal quality, I call it."
"You find the religion that works for you, if you need one to facilitate your relationship with a higher being."
"It’s not about having it all, but having equilibrium. Being comfortable with wherever you are. It’s being content in your professional life, even if things aren’t perfect. Even if you’re having a killer day, you know that, overall, you are on the path you want to be on, and it’s not overtaking your personal life."
"And you also have to learn how to pull back and find that time for you, every single day."
"Love is about being selfless. It’s about losing control in the healthiest way imaginable."
"Another important element of love is finding yourself, and that’s how you know what love is. When you become much more comfortable with you. A relationship you have with your child, with a significant other, or with a friend that helps you to grow into your own skin — that’s a huge part of love."
"The George Floyd incident was a perfect storm — for the world to see and understand that these changes have to be made."
"Without George Floyd we wouldn’t have seen all the rest that’s happened over the past few months, or understood what’s at the root of parts of America."
"It’s an issue that’s touched the whole world, with protests everywhere, wherever there are people of colour."
"I had just moved back to Trinidad, so I did it for promotion. I hadn’t been there for some years and wanted people to know who I was. I went into a local pageant without any expectations."
"Only when we got there did I realize that I was really in a competition."
"I’d never even been on a stage before. Seeing the competitive spirit around beauty was very interesting."
"Except we never saw a black contestant on the cover."
"We weren’t seeing ourselves in the papers at all. We figured we were there just to make up the numbers"
"I had never before in my life felt second place or second class, so that was all new to me."
"A person of colour was not a typical beauty."
"It was a hostile industry, but over the years I think I earned their respect."
"may help young people coming up have a sense of our history."
"There are so many pre-conceived notions of what '60' is first and foremost 'old'."
"Retirement has traditionally been tied to the 60s and that image hangs over it, but it just doesn't fit."
"looks."One of the things I'm thankful for is that I have all my original body parts."
"No fillers, no replacements, no substitutes."This seems miraculous in a world she recognises as revolving around instant beauty at all costs."
"costs."Everything is Hollywood. Everything is instant. Everyone strives for perfection the perfect look."
"In the quest for perfection the line keeps moving."
"Responsibility dictates behaviour and winning never dictated how I lived my life."
"I think people should do what suits them and make them feel comfortable. In pageants now where I get to be invited as a judge, the contestants tend to look the same. I swear when I look at them, they walk the same, they wear the same make-up, same hair, similar gowns. If I was a mentor, I would make them different."
"Oh, just the same things I do. I think if he has been in the moon for so long I think when he comes over he wants to change, I guess."
"I used to say that when you enter a contest, you must keep it in your mind that this is not the beginning or the end. This is just a stepping stone, something different. If you win, good. If you lose, okay. You make friends, you enjoy. But it’s more difficult for me to say that now because now, they are already 26 or 27, it’s a life-changing career."
"Keep money not the main conversation. But more than anything, make sure they (children) always share, that they’re always part of a group, and that they don’t feel the need to keep up with anyone."
"That’s the number one thing I always told my daughters.“Who cares?""
"Adjust your appetite. Look at the price from right to left. Adjust your appetite to the price."
"Before, it was different. Your mother wasn’t your friend. She always said no. She would tell you something couldn’t be done. She was your protector, your everything. Your mother wasn’t your friend. She always said no. She would tell you something couldn’t be done. She was your protector, your everything."
"Now, they let kids make mistakes. Like my daughter (Isabelle). She let her children fall. And when they cried, that was fine. Unlike me before, when they fell, I got upset. It was very different."
"I think that’s the new age. That’s just how they are now."
"By being busy, working, having many friends."
"I love the business as it is kasi it has made it very comfortable for me. Everything I have ( because of showbiz). A lot of what I have comes from the business."
"In a way, I’m able to explain why I said this, I said that."
"I always wanted them to speak in their language, whatever they’re comfortable with…"
"Health, wealth, and time to spend it."
"I think people should do what suits them and make them feel comfortable."
"Like I always say, winning or losing is not the beginning or the end. It’s only a step towards your own future, whatever it’s that you do."
"Don’t lend money you can’t afford to lose."
"But if you must help, just give a little as a present and don’t expect it to be returned."
"The natural. So I want to see a more natural person."
"I want to create my own character based on what role they give me."
"Always be thankful that you have luck by your side and people will love you more if you are doing your job right. It's good that you listen and learn,"
"But at the end of the day, it’s really swertehan (luck) …. destiny, yes!"