Christina Lazaros is competing this year in Miss Intercontinental Nederland. She is 21 years of age and is a student of law. Having lived in the Netherlands for almost all her life, except for 3 years in Greece when she was very young, she has become passionate about pageantry over the last few years. She started competing in beauty pageants in 2013. Before competing for Miss Intercontinental Nederland 2017, she also competed in Miss Grand Nederland 2017, Miss World Nederland 2016 and Miss Eco Universe 2016.
In an interview with Angelopedia, Christina shared her thoughts, aspirations and experiences in the world of pageantry. Below is the transcript of Angelopedia's interview with Christina Lazaros -
Q. How does it feel to compete in Miss Intercontinental Nederland 2017?
It feels magical! The past years I always watched the girls competing in Miss Beauty of The Netherlands from the sideline, wishing I would be on that stage one day. Now that I've won the Miss Intercontinental of Groningen title and that I am in the running to win the national title, I feel so excited! I enjoy every moment of my journey towards this title as I learn so much and I can't wait for the big day to come.
Q. You have participated in several beauty pageants before, does that make you more confident to win this title?
I think having done pageants before can be an advantage, but also a disadvantage. Doing pageants, in general, has given me a lot of self-confidence and because for example, I have walked the catwalk several times before, this makes me more confident. On the other hand, I feel like there's so much more to learn. I taught myself a lot about pageants by watching YouTube video's and reading articles, but never really had a coach or national director telling me exactly what to do. I am very grateful for the Miss Beauty of The Netherlands organisation for giving me a chance. I don't feel like they judge me on the hand of having done pageants before, but give me a fair chance like all other contestants.
Q. You were so close to winning the Miss World Nederland 2016 crown, how did you feel about not winning it finally?
To be honest, I was happily surprised by winning the place of 2nd runner up as I did not expect to win the title that day at all! I was very proud of myself and was determined to continue doing pageants. It was really nice to have some sort of confirmation to know that what I am doing is right.
Q. Who was your role model behind stepping into the world of beauty pageants?
When I was 16 years old I watched Lauraine van der Werff winning ''Miss Drenthe'' on TV. I watched her shining on stage which I adored because when I was a little child I used to perform in front of my family. I was always singing and dancing and loved to be the centre of attention. I think from the moment I watched Lauraine, I started to dive into the pageant world. When I was 17 years old I competed in my first pageant and won a wildcard to compete in the Miss Drenthe pageant, like Lauraine did.
Q. Would you like to give us a glimpse of your veiled personality?
As a person I easily make friends. Even if I only know you for a few days, I am sincerely interested in who you are and always want to help if you let me. I like to see through people and get to know different cultures and ways of thinking. Also, I am compassionate, spontaneous and I am always in for a laugh!
Q. Would you like to share some uniquely saccharine moments of your childhood with us?
Like I mentioned before, I used to perform in front of my family a lot! I and my sister always watched a TV-programme called ''The mini playback-show'' in which children were performing as their favourite singer. My grandmother recorded the show on video for us. We could watch the video over and over again. We never got tired of it! Being the centre of attention is something I loved from when I was a little girl. I always gave little performances to my family.
Q. Tell us something that most people don’t know about you?
If I didn't study Law School, I'd love to work for Disney! In my spare time (back in the days where I didn't have to study so much) I used to draw and I loved the thought of making a career in doing what I like to do.
Q. If you had to describe your “perfect man”, what traits of his personality would be written in bold?
I don't believe anyone is perfect, but to me, a man who is self-confident, spontaneous, reliable, and has humour would be close to perfect. Those four characteristics are really important to me.
Q. What according to you define femininity? Who is the most treasured female figure in your life?
To me, femininity is when you can walk around confident and can be proud of who you are. Femininity is when you trust yourself in the things you can accomplish as a woman, which I believe is a lot. Being a woman is a wonderful gift and I believe every woman on this planet has something beautiful, no matter what size, colour, age, race or whatsoever.
There is more than one female figure who I treasure in my life. Starting off with my mother who is a very strong woman, but I also love my grandmother and sister a lot. I can't imagine life without them.
Q. If you were invisible for a day, what all would you do?
If I were invisible for a day, I would go to a luna-park or water park and go in all roller-coasters and water slides without having to stand in this long queue or having to buy this expensive fast-pass, haha!
Q. If you could define yourself with a “colour”, what colour would you choose and why?
I would choose the colour light blue which is my favourite colour. Light blue and crystal clear as the sky is, I think I am an open book and when you have a place in my heart or life, you can fully trust me and see right through me.
Q. If you had to change one thing in your past, what would it be and why?
I think the past has made me who I am today and so, if I would change something, I wouldn't be who and where I am now. I am content with who I am and I believe I learned from my past, whether this was good or bad. I believe you should always look forward and don't stick too much to the past if this was a bad one. It's up to yourself if you better yourself as a person or not.
Q. What is special and unique about Dutch women?
Dutch women are very down-to-earth. We have a saying in The Netherlands that sounds - "Just act normal because when you do, you already act crazy enough.'' I think this soberness helps us to calm down in stressful situations. Because of this, I consider Dutch beauty queens like Trojan horses; they seem very calm during pageants, but behind this down-to-earth mind, there's a great plan on winning a title. We are not easily distracted and have our mind set, while we make fun and relax.
Q. What suggestions would you like to give to aspiring beauty queens?
To always believe in yourself, which mind sound cliché, but which is true! I started doing pageants all by myself and though I never won, I kept going on and on, because I was and am sure that my time would come. Now I've won my first actual crown, Miss Intercontinental Groningen, and I'm determined to go for the national title. My dream is to go to a big international pageant and I truly believe that I can.
Q. What message would you like to give to your fans on Angelopedia?
To always believe in yourself! I keep repeating it, but I truly believe that you can accomplish anything as long as you believe in yourself and work hard for what you want. Keep that goal in mind and you will see that you will be rewarded, whether this is what you actually wanted or the feeling of satisfaction when you know you have done everything in order to say "I can be proud of myself.'' Never give up on your dreams, I also don't.
