It was recently announced that Mariah Tibbetts who was adjudged as the first runner-up at Miss Universe Cayman Islands 2019 has been designated as the new Miss Universe Cayman Islands and will be representing Cayman Islands at Miss Universe 2020 stage. The Miss Cayman Islands Universe Committee revealed Friday i.e., 17th July 2020 that Miss Universe Cayman Islands 2020 event has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, Tibbetts has been cleared to compete by the Miss Universe Organization, which has already approved ten other runners-up for the international contest once a date is set.
“The pandemic has had a financial strain on our community and the committee could not in good conscience approach sponsors when we’ve all experienced such a difficult time financially over the last few months. Neither could the committee see how it was safe or economically feasible to host the local pageant which draws hundreds of people in an enclosed ballroom. Given this, the committee believes that it’s best to postpone this year’s pageant.” said Committee Chairperson, Derri Dacres-Lee.
Mariah is 26-years-old and stands 170 cm tall and a certified public accountant from Bodden Town. She is very excited and feels honoured to be given such a prestigious opportunity and strongly believes that she will be able to perform her best at the competition and make the countrymen proud.
Mariah is not new to the pageantry as she was adjudged as the first runner-up at Miss Teen Cayman Islands 2011 and later at Miss Universe Cayman Islands 2019, she was again adjudged as the first runner-up. In one of her interviews, Mariah mentioned that taking a break after her stint at Miss Teen Cayman Islands 2011, she decided to participate again was because the beauty pageant was a beneficial experience for her which called her back on-stage. She also explained that she wants to represent her province at an international stage and work for the issues that matter.
The diva wants to raise awareness and help people normalize the stigma around mental health especially in the town where she resides and with a platform given to her by Miss Universe Cayman Islands, she believes that she can reach out to a bigger and wider audience. She has been associated with a foundation in Cayman Islands where the team and the diva herself are working tirelessly to make the talks about mental illness normal and not something that could be shut down. They want to create a safe space for the people so that they know where to go or come to when they feel that something is not right.
Mariah is strong, confident, and determined woman who believes that she has the abilities and skills with which she can perform her best on-stage and represent her country at international level and win the crown. She is very close to her family and friends and loves to spend time with them, Mariah expresses her gratitude towards them for being so supportive and motivated towards her career. She also mentions that she is very excited to meet the other delegates of different countries because according to her knowing different culture, traditions, opinions, and things about different countries helps an individual to grow as a better human being and that is something she looks forward to. Her parents describe her school-age years as “exemplary, with great self-discipline, and a fantastic example to her siblings.”
Mariah is grateful for all the opportunities she has received till now and feels that with opportunity she has grown more confident and a resilient woman. She likes to experiment with her fashion and makeup which can help her during the competition and is working on her on-stage walk along with body angles, body postures, communication, and interview skills for the finale night. She can be one of the strongest contenders for the title as she is experienced and is focused on winning.
Congratulations to the new queen!