Well, pageant fans, Miss Universe 2020 has finally been crowned and it’s none other than Miss Mexico Andrea Meza! The beauty queen beat out 73 other contestants for the elusive crown, with Miss Brazil Julia Gama and Miss Peru Janick Maceta Del Castillo coming in as the first and second runners-up respectively.
Now that the annual spectacle has come and gone, the question for us pageant-lovers remains: Who is Andrea Meza? Well, we’ve got all the answers for you!
Below, we round up 10 fun facts you need to know about Miss Universe 2020.
1. She’s a Leo.
Full name Alma Andrea Meza Carmona, the beauty queen was born on August 13, 1994 in the city of Chihuahua, Mexico.
2. She’s an advocate for women’s rights.
For her official Up Close interview with Miss Universe, Andrea shared she’s a strong advocate for women’s rights, stating it’s one of the reasons why she joined Miss Universe in the first place. “I’m confident that this is a huge platform that would allow me to talk about this and to let the world realize that this is a big issue. I want young girls to realize that and to fight for their rights.” Andrea works with the Municipal Institute for Women in hopes of ending gender violence.
3. She’s the third Mexican to win Miss Universe.
Upon Andrea’s win, Mexico has now officially won Miss Universe three times. The women who came before her are Ximena Navarrete, who bagged the crown in 2010, and Lupita Jones, Mexico’s first Miss Universe who won in 1991.
4. She also competed for the Miss World title in 2017.
Before taking home the Miss Universe crown, Andrea first came close to landing a major beauty pageant title four years ago. She finished as the first runner-up in Miss World 2017, losing only to India’s representative, Manushi Chhillar.
5. She was criticized for pursuing Miss Universe after Miss World.
Three years after placing in Miss World, Andrea set her sights on Miss Universe, but this meant having to start all over again by competing in her state’s local pageant, which eventually drew her a lot of public flak. “They asked me if I was not afraid of losing what I already had. Like participating in Mexicana Universal would make me lose my first runner-up spot [from Miss World.],” she shared in an interview. “That’s not possible. I already have my trophies at home, I have the memories, and nothing that can happen is going to take that away from me. And that’s why I decided to start from the bottom.” Luckily, her gamble immensely paid off in the long run!
6. She’s a software engineer.
A woman of both beauty and brains, Andrea graduated from the Autonomous University of Chihuahua with a Bachelor of Science degree. According to her profile, she considers earning the diploma to be one of her proudest achievements as she was “one of the few women in her class” to graduate with the title in the male dominated field. Apart from being a model, she’s currently working as a software engineer and dreams of launching her own software company.
7. She’s a family woman.
Andrea grew up in a big family—she has 40 cousins—and considers her kin to be the most important people in her life. She missed them dearly while she was away for Miss Universe and even had a diffcult time because of it. “I love being around my family…and being far away from them is sometimes hard for me. I’ve been living by myself for the last four years but still I managed to see them at least once a month. But now, I’ve been so focused on my preparations that I haven’t been able to see them,” she admitted during her Beauty Talks interview.
8. Catriona Gray is one of her favorite beauty queens.
ICYMI, Andrea once wore a terno-inspired dress during her Miss Universe journey. The beauty queen revealed that Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray is one of her inspirations, and it looks like that also holds true fashion-wise. After seeing Catriona wear the Philippine terno, Andrea researched on the look and practically begged her team to get her a similarly designed dress so she could don it on Mexicana Universal. “I just love it. I think it’s so elegant,” she said. The 26-year-old added that it was also her way of showing gratitude for all the support she’d gotten from Filipino fans.
9. She’s passionate about sports and fitness.
Andrea’s a fitness junkie who particularly loves doing CrossFit. In fact, apart from opening a software company, her alternate goal is to establish a Health and Fitness Club. Oh, and did you know she can effortlessly do a three-minute plank?
You have to see her impeccably toned physique in the photos below!
10. She loves to sing.
Apart from her athletic pursuits, Andrea also has a passion for singing. She thinks it’s, "a very powerful way to show her emotions.”
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