An ardent promoter of healthy living, recently crowned Miss Global International Guyana 2017, Cynthia Dookie, is convinced “that many life-threatening illnesses can be curbed and/or prevented if we make healthier choices as it relates to our diets and wellness”.
In an interview with Sunday Times Magazine, the 23-year-old said Miss Global International Guyana is not her first pageant. She was a contestant in the Miss India Guyana 2017 pageant, in which she placed second runner-up or “Second Princess”, was awarded Miss Fitness, and second place within the ‘Beautiful Heart’ category.
Cynthia’s platform in the Miss Global International pageant is “health and fitness”. She explained that the reason for her platform’s choice was as a consequence of her mother being admonished by doctors to basically “get healthy or die”.
“Becoming a fitness trainer was something I never decided on, but just happened in my life, and I’m so grateful it did. A few years ago, my mom got sick and was told by doctors if she didn’t make drastic changes in her life, such as her diet, she would die. This was an eye-opener for me, and my mom and I took matters into our own hands. I decided that the only way I was going to get her to work out and eat healthier was if I did it with her,” Cynthia disclosed.
After a few months of hard work and dedication to improving both herself and mother’s health and fitness, an opportunity arose for Cynthia to become a personal trainer, and she grabbed it.
“It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made in my life. This lead to the formation of my signature project, Fit U, under the tag line: ‘Transforming Lives One Pound at a Time’,” recalled the fitness trainer.
Concerning her recent win in the Miss Global International Guyana, Cynthia pointed out that the “phenomenal queens” before her “left huge shoes to fill as it relates to their placement internationally”; hence she is working tirelessly to ensure she brings home the Miss Global International crown.
“When I win the international title, I intend to use it to give a voice to my platform, which is promoting health and fitness throughout Guyana and internationally. I believe taking care of our bodies must be a priority. I also intend to use my title as a means to reach out to young women and help to motivate them as it relates to building their self-esteem and creating better versions of themselves,” the beauty queen declared.
Cynthia’s advice to youths is to “always follow your dreams; you can achieve anything you set your heart on, once you work hard and never give up; be brave and be confident”.
Additionally, she mentioned that “dieting and exercise can be simple and easy, all you have to do is to take the first steps. Do it for your health, but most importantly, for yourself”.
Apart from fitness and pageantry, Cynthia volunteers with local charitable organisation, Help and Shelter. Her hobbies include traveling, cooking, reading and working out. Currently, Cynthia is pursuing a degree in human resource management through the Association of Business Education.
Visit Miss Global International Guyana on Facebook for more information on Cynthia’s advocacy work and her journey to the Miss Global International pageant, which is slated for September 6-10, 2017 in Montego Bay, Jamaica.
