Rolene Strauss

"Everything happens twice, the first time in your mind and then in reality."

"I’m a test-tube baby"

"I’ve always wanted to be a doctor. Maybe because of the fact that I was a test-tube baby, maybe because of the fact that my parents were very passionate about health"

"The thing I will always remember from this experience is the different cultures I got to experience. We ate Thai food every night in [Maeya Nonthawan Thongleng] Miss Thailand’s room. The US is very popular for their sweets, so Miss USA [Elizabeth Safrit] brought a lot of sweets for us to try… Miss Australia [Courtney Thorpe] was probably my best friend – people actually said that we look alike. It’s so funny because she’s amazing at doing make-up and I was good at doing hair so we helped each other for the final"

"It was a childhood dream that came true and as big an honor as it is, it is still a responsibility…But it’s also not the destination; it’s the beginning of a new journey"

"If you look at beauty, it fades. What we are working on is a legacy that will last beyond our lives. If you really look at what Miss World has achieved in raising millions of dollars for charities, you’ll see that we’re making a big difference in people’s lives."

"I actually do my own hair and make-up which comes in handy because I don’t always have someone. I have someone who helps with styling, Werner Wessels, and he’s been helping me [from] before I became Miss South Africa. My style is kind of the way you tell a story without people being able to speak to you. My style icon is Princess Kate Middleton"

"It’s part of who I am, part of what I want to be. I want to be able to practice and I also want to start a business that focuses on women’s health…I like the holistic approach to women’s health and my health because I believe that your mind and body are interlinked and connected so if you look after you mind you automatically look after your body, also vice versa"

"In life, you get a lot of platforms to do good, to reach for your dreams and have a positive influence on other people’s lives as well. Whether it’s through education, being a doctor, or others have the platform of being good at sports. That way, I’ve received the platform of Miss World and I’m going to use it to do good"

"We chose each other and chose to trust one another, to be gentle, and to put in the hard work"

"We had to learn how to live in the present, and decided to embrace every season and moment"

"We tried to not overthink the goodbyes, but rather saw them as an opportunity for the heart to grow fonder again"

"The biggest lesson I learnt from being raised in a small town is that you might not have all the opportunities there, but when you do get one, you should grab it with both hands"

"It was all about what you look like, whereas pageants and Miss South Africa was more holistic. It’s about using your unique skills and talents to really make a difference"

"True beauty lies in how you affect other people"

"I did my master’s in philosophy and studied leadership coaching to develop a model for women who struggle with their self-confidence. I use this model in a lot of the keynote talks, workshops and seminars I do, and in the business talks I give with my husband"

"I believe that very often, we turn to people to crown us with a title – ‘you’re good enough’ or ‘you’re pretty enough’ – and we always wait for someone else to put that crown on our heads"

"It’s about becoming the queen of your life, instead of trying to be the queen for everyone else and fit into their boxes."

"They brought me back to enjoying every moment, seeing its beauty and embracing everything as an adventure"

"They just tore all the unnecessary details away from life. They got to the core of building a heart-to-heart connection and being there for one another. They ground me in who I am"

"We struggled through our obstacles, stood up after difficult times and gave hope to so many countries where equality is a struggle. This shows us that we are capable of great things and we are resilient"

"The fact [is] that we as humans don’t realise how much potential we have to do good, give and make things right. How amazing would it be if we all realised our potential"

"I am the University of the Free State’s first successful test tube baby. One of the greatest gifts anyone can receive is the gift of a healthy life. With my passion for giving, people and health, I will be able to contribute to one of the most important things any country desires: health for all"