Next month Waikato University student Natalie Sangster is jetting off to represent New Zealand at an international beauty pageant. Kate Monahan chats to the 20-year-old about her preparations, and what it takes to be a modern Miss World.
It's a busy morning at Hydro cafe in Hamilton East, and there is a buzz in the air. The fragrant smell of fresh coffee, the bustle of service and friends talking. But when waitress Natalie Sangster walks through the cafe, heads turn.
The tall blonde, a second year teaching student at Waikato University, is different from your typical waitress.
Today, the cafe crowd have one of New Zealand's most beauty young model serving them coffee.
In April Sangster was named first runner up in the Miss World NZ contest. The winner, Magdalena Schoeman of Christchurch, is heading to South Africa to represent New Zealand in the Miss World international competition in December.
Sangster, who came second, flies to Zhengzhou, China next month to compete in Miss Tourism Queen International, up against women from more than 80 countries. The Chinese-based pageant, established in 2004, promotes tourism development, friendship and international culture exchange.
Today, the cafe crowd have one of New Zealand's most beauty young model serving them coffee.
In April Sangster was named first runner up in the Miss World NZ contest. The winner, Magdalena Schoeman of Christchurch, is heading to South Africa to represent New Zealand in the Miss World international competition in December.
Sangster, who came second, flies to Zhengzhou, China next month to compete in Miss Tourism Queen International, up against women from more than 80 countries. The Chinese-based pageant, established in 2004, promotes tourism development, friendship and international culture exchange.
Sangster will be in China from August 7 to 30, competing in multiple competitions to vie for the crown.
It was a case of one door closing and another opening, that sent Sangster on her current path.
She almost didn't apply for the Miss World New Zealand contest.
A chance meeting with New Zealand's next top model judge Colin Mathura-Jeffrees gave her the idea. "I'd auditioned for New Zealand's next top model and during judging Colin said, 'you are not right for the show but enter this'. I thought, why not?"
Sangster is glad, in retrospect, she never made the cut for the reality show. "It's quite bitchy and I don't know if I would want to be exposed in that light," she says.
It was a case of one door closing and another opening, that sent Sangster on her current path.
She almost didn't apply for the Miss World New Zealand contest.
A chance meeting with New Zealand's next top model judge Colin Mathura-Jeffrees gave her the idea. "I'd auditioned for New Zealand's next top model and during judging Colin said, 'you are not right for the show but enter this'. I thought, why not?"
Sangster is glad, in retrospect, she never made the cut for the reality show. "It's quite bitchy and I don't know if I would want to be exposed in that light," she says.
Being placed as first runner up in Miss World New Zealand was an overwhelming experience. "I burst into tears, it was a little embarrassing," recalls Sangster.
She says her experience of beauty world is not what most people expect. "You see all the American stories of the pageants and you go in expecting girls to be catty. But everyone was so nice."
Miss Tourism Queen International is expected to be very competitive. Sangster needs a whole wardrobe of outfits, including cocktail dresses and gowns, a national costume and a disco outfit. "One of the competitions is a big dance off," she explains. "I hope I don't freeze on stage."
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Although Miss World New Zealand was Sangster's first major beauty pageant, she's participated in a lot of smaller local contests, which have helped with confidence and poise. This year she's also scooped Miss Waihi 2009, Miss O-Week (at Waikato University) and Miss Rural Bachelorette at the New Zealand National Agricultural Fieldays 2009. In 2008 she was named Miss Outback.
Down-to-earth and friendly, it's hard to imagine Sangster on the stage, strutting her stuff in a bikini and heels. In person, she's nothing like how most people imagine a beauty queen to be. Apart from some mascara, her face is clean of makeup, and she's happy to make jokes at her own expense as she tucks into a salmon and rocket salad at Hydro.
"When I'm not doing that I'm at uni and I'm a real trackpants and hoody girl," says Sangster.
As a teenager, Sangster says she wasn't a glamour girl. "I was a real retard," she says. "I had braces and I was a real geek, in the Shakespeare Club." Spending time at performing arts school in the UK gave her a new-found confidence.
Dancing is a passion. Sangster started dance lessons at five, and continued it through her years at Sacred Heart Girls College. At 18, Sangster took "a gap year" and went to England, attending Tring Park School for the Performing Arts just outside London, widely regarding as one of the leading performing arts schools in the UK. Famous alumni include Thandie Newton (Crash, Mission Impossible II) and Jane Seymour (Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman).
Now in her second year of a teaching degree at Waikato University, Sangster hopes to become a high school dance and drama teacher.
She is a cheerleader for the Waikato Chiefs rugby team, training twice a week and dancing at games. She also cheers for the Waikato Pistons basketball team and is with the Suzuki cheerleaders at Fieldays.
Her friends in the Chiefs cheer squad have been supportive. "They come to competitions with big signs and they are my personal bronzers and do my hair," she laughs. "They sit at the front and go crazy. Some of them I've known since I was five, or from third form. One friend, Jenna McLauchlan, made a dress for me to wear at Miss Tourism Queen International."
However, she has faced some criticism from friends and strangers about her pageant and cheerleading endeavours. "Sometimes people are surprised that you can be a cheerleader and do beauty stuff, and also well at school," says Sangster, who also is involved with community work, helping teach dance to students at Melville Intermediate.
Sangster is also being assisted by local business people. Staff from Ktizo are teaching her how to do her own hair and makeup (contestants at Miss Tourism Queen International are expected to do that themselves).
Her boss at Hydro, Susie Steiner, and Hydro regular, Paul Barnett, a local property consultant, have helped out financially with high cost competition entry fees.
Contours gym is giving her a free membership and a weekly session with a personal trainer, to help her tone up for the contest. "It's all about the old fashioned hard slog," says Sangster, who tries to go to the gym every day. "I hurt a lot of the time. I've found muscles I didn't know even existed."
It's the bikini section that has her most worried. "Colin (Mathura-Jeffrees) rang me and I asked him what to do, and he said, 'make sure you don't have any wobbly bits' and to keep up my fitness while I'm (in China)."
Sangster is also trying to get sponsorship from a New Zealand fashion designer for gowns to wear. But it's her family who have really helped out on the fashion front. "My mother (Fran) made all my dresses for Miss World New Zealand," says Sangster. "She's made all my ballet costume my whole life, so that helps. My brother Michael (17) designed a Maori pattern for my national costume. It was a bit of a family affair."
The beauty pageant in China is expected to be a step up from the New Zealand competition. "I think I will add some paua to my costume, glitz it up a bit," says Sangster. "I will be up against Venezuela and Brazil and they have some amazing costumes."
As for the other contestants, Sangster is unsure how she will stack up. "The girl that went last year told me that she was only one of about six or seven girls who hadn't had plastic surgery. It's quite extreme, fake hair extensions and all that."
Sangster is against plastic surgery. "If I had to change myself that much, it wouldn't be worth it. I am happy with myself as I am."
It looks like Sangster has a good chance of making it through to the semi-final round by popularity alone. She is currently in first place on the Miss Tourism Queen International website (misstqi.com) with the highest number of (paid) public votes.
Sangster says beauty pageants have evolved. "It's not about beauty now, but how you can make a difference," says Sangster. "You have to have the whole package."
Source : www.stuff.co.nz
For more information find young beauty professional woman.
She says her experience of beauty world is not what most people expect. "You see all the American stories of the pageants and you go in expecting girls to be catty. But everyone was so nice."
Miss Tourism Queen International is expected to be very competitive. Sangster needs a whole wardrobe of outfits, including cocktail dresses and gowns, a national costume and a disco outfit. "One of the competitions is a big dance off," she explains. "I hope I don't freeze on stage."
Ad Feedback
Although Miss World New Zealand was Sangster's first major beauty pageant, she's participated in a lot of smaller local contests, which have helped with confidence and poise. This year she's also scooped Miss Waihi 2009, Miss O-Week (at Waikato University) and Miss Rural Bachelorette at the New Zealand National Agricultural Fieldays 2009. In 2008 she was named Miss Outback.
Down-to-earth and friendly, it's hard to imagine Sangster on the stage, strutting her stuff in a bikini and heels. In person, she's nothing like how most people imagine a beauty queen to be. Apart from some mascara, her face is clean of makeup, and she's happy to make jokes at her own expense as she tucks into a salmon and rocket salad at Hydro.
"When I'm not doing that I'm at uni and I'm a real trackpants and hoody girl," says Sangster.
As a teenager, Sangster says she wasn't a glamour girl. "I was a real retard," she says. "I had braces and I was a real geek, in the Shakespeare Club." Spending time at performing arts school in the UK gave her a new-found confidence.
Dancing is a passion. Sangster started dance lessons at five, and continued it through her years at Sacred Heart Girls College. At 18, Sangster took "a gap year" and went to England, attending Tring Park School for the Performing Arts just outside London, widely regarding as one of the leading performing arts schools in the UK. Famous alumni include Thandie Newton (Crash, Mission Impossible II) and Jane Seymour (Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman).
Now in her second year of a teaching degree at Waikato University, Sangster hopes to become a high school dance and drama teacher.
She is a cheerleader for the Waikato Chiefs rugby team, training twice a week and dancing at games. She also cheers for the Waikato Pistons basketball team and is with the Suzuki cheerleaders at Fieldays.
Her friends in the Chiefs cheer squad have been supportive. "They come to competitions with big signs and they are my personal bronzers and do my hair," she laughs. "They sit at the front and go crazy. Some of them I've known since I was five, or from third form. One friend, Jenna McLauchlan, made a dress for me to wear at Miss Tourism Queen International."
However, she has faced some criticism from friends and strangers about her pageant and cheerleading endeavours. "Sometimes people are surprised that you can be a cheerleader and do beauty stuff, and also well at school," says Sangster, who also is involved with community work, helping teach dance to students at Melville Intermediate.
Sangster is also being assisted by local business people. Staff from Ktizo are teaching her how to do her own hair and makeup (contestants at Miss Tourism Queen International are expected to do that themselves).
Her boss at Hydro, Susie Steiner, and Hydro regular, Paul Barnett, a local property consultant, have helped out financially with high cost competition entry fees.
Contours gym is giving her a free membership and a weekly session with a personal trainer, to help her tone up for the contest. "It's all about the old fashioned hard slog," says Sangster, who tries to go to the gym every day. "I hurt a lot of the time. I've found muscles I didn't know even existed."
It's the bikini section that has her most worried. "Colin (Mathura-Jeffrees) rang me and I asked him what to do, and he said, 'make sure you don't have any wobbly bits' and to keep up my fitness while I'm (in China)."
Sangster is also trying to get sponsorship from a New Zealand fashion designer for gowns to wear. But it's her family who have really helped out on the fashion front. "My mother (Fran) made all my dresses for Miss World New Zealand," says Sangster. "She's made all my ballet costume my whole life, so that helps. My brother Michael (17) designed a Maori pattern for my national costume. It was a bit of a family affair."
The beauty pageant in China is expected to be a step up from the New Zealand competition. "I think I will add some paua to my costume, glitz it up a bit," says Sangster. "I will be up against Venezuela and Brazil and they have some amazing costumes."
As for the other contestants, Sangster is unsure how she will stack up. "The girl that went last year told me that she was only one of about six or seven girls who hadn't had plastic surgery. It's quite extreme, fake hair extensions and all that."
Sangster is against plastic surgery. "If I had to change myself that much, it wouldn't be worth it. I am happy with myself as I am."
It looks like Sangster has a good chance of making it through to the semi-final round by popularity alone. She is currently in first place on the Miss Tourism Queen International website (misstqi.com) with the highest number of (paid) public votes.
Sangster says beauty pageants have evolved. "It's not about beauty now, but how you can make a difference," says Sangster. "You have to have the whole package."
Source : www.stuff.co.nz
For more information find young beauty professional woman.
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