Sadhna Yunus

“Pageants have helped me to discover my strengths and weaknesses and get to know myself better”

Placing in the top 12 of the Miss Universe Canada 2011, Canada based-Guyanese Sadhna Yunus is always proud to seize every opportunity to showcase her country of birth to the wider world.

In an interview with Guyana Times Sunday Magazine, Yunus revealed that she grew up in Albion, Berbice, and recalled many fond childhood memories, all of which she dearly treasures. Her fondest memory is when she attended primary school, and on Fridays, played games, picked fruits with her friends and shared stories.
Growing up in the country was serene for Yunus but she soon met with the bustling urban life when she migrated to Toronto, Canada, in 2002 when she was 17 years old. Yunus’ passion for pageantry begon when she was a child, and her new home country opened up many opportunities to enter pageants.
“As a kid I would always watch Miss Universe on television and knew someday I [would] compete in pageants – and that’s exactly what I did: I followed my dreams which led me to compete in pageants. It all start with believing in yourself; but that only comes when you are yourself.   I think pageants really helped me to discover my strengths and weaknesses and get to know myself better. Every day we are exposed to so many different challenges, and it is always a test of your inner strength and how much you believe in yourself. For me it was being judged for my appearance, intelligence or how well I worked under pressure. Pageantry helps to build self-confidence to withstand such pressures. I have also met so many amazing people through pageants. Everyone that crossed my path I can truly say I have learnt some valuable lesson – whether good or bad. I have built strong friendships and networking teams. Pageantry also taught me about different cultures, people…and mostly about myself,” she related.
Yunus’ first pageant was in 2009 where she represented Ontario at Miss World Canada on a national level. Then she completed in Miss Universe Canada in 2011 where she placed among the top 12 and went on to represent Ontario at the national level. She was awarded Miss Photogenic at Miss Earth Ontario  and is the second runner-up for that pageant; most recently she placed second runner-up at the Miss Guyana Universe 2012.
For Yunus, competing in an international pageant is a unique experience. She competed with 40 ladies at preliminary and then another 65 at the national levels.  Yunus said it requires mental, physical and emotional readiness. She had a personal coach, along with her family and friends who supported her along the way.
The preparations, she noted, included endless hours of practicing dance routines, posing, and catwalks. She was also very involved in philanthropy work, volunteering at fundraisers and working hand-in-hand with children’s charities. Some of her volunteering work include working with international charities such as Operation Smile, SOS Children Village Charity, Canadian Cancer Society, Canadian National Institute for the Blind, Salvation Army and Love for the Children Foundation.
Recalling her pageant experience here in Guyana, Yunus said: “The overall experience for me was definitely a positive one. I always have been a person who focuses on the journey rather than the destination, and that’s exactly what I did. During my time in Guyana, I had many strangers who came up to me to voice their support and encouragement, and that alone indicates to me I am in the right direction. Not winning the pageant here, although I have such a vast background in international pageants, I believe had to do with me living in another country because I heard some controversy concerning that.  But for me it’s not about winning or losing, it’s about the impact I have made along the journey.  I believe in destiny, and if it wasn’t for me then no one can change that. However, I always believe that a title or the crown doesn’t make you a queen. A true beauty queen comes from the sincerity of your heart,” expressed Yunus.
Besides pageantry, Yunus enjoys yoga, which helps her to relax and think positive. She also loves to travel, model, dance, read, and most of all, spend time with loved ones. Her ‘My career’ goal is to become an elementary school teacher. Working with children has always been enriching and rewarding for Yunus. Additionally, she hopes to someday travel to different countries to expand her volunteering work.
Yunus revealed she would not compete again in pageants because she has accomplished what she needed to.  She is now focused on other areas in her life. Not leaving the limelight totally, Yunus works as a model and appears in print ads and editorials for magazines, catalogues and websites, as well as walking the runway for many local and international designers. She proudly said she always showcases Guyana, and would be visiting soon as some of her loved ones are still here.
“Always be yourself, if you stay true to yourself, with hard work, determination, dedication, discipline, patience, positivity and perseverance, you can and will achieve anything you set your mind towards. If you dream it you can certainly achieve it. Remember it’s always better to try than to fail to try,” she advises young people.