A registered nurse at the Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre is set to represent Canada at an international beauty pageant.
Emily Bondy, 26, will compete in the 2017 Miss Global Pageant in Cambodia from Nov. 2 to 19.
Bondy has been in national beauty pageants — finishing top 12 in the 2013 Miss Universe Canada. This will be her first pageant at the international level.
“I was ecstatic when I heard I was in,” said Bondy, who has called Red Deer home for close to two years. “It’s a little surreal. I don’t think it’s fully hit me that I’m representing Canada.”
Bondy was selected out of 30 entrants across the country.
“The thing I’m most nervous about is just getting there – I’m not a super great flyer. But I know I’m a really good contender and I’ve been preparing extensively,” she said.
Two Canadians have won the five Miss Global Pageants so far.
The pageant will include a number of categories including swimsuit, evening gown, personality interview and international wear.
Bondy said the Miss Global Pageant is different from other miss pageants because single mothers are allowed to enter and the age limit is 35 as opposed to 26 or 27.
“It seems to be more based on personality than on beauty, which is really quite unique,” she said.
Bondy’s first pageant was in her hometown near Windsor, Ont. in 2009. She entered the pageant after graduating high school because she loved volunteering.
“I was so involved in my high school and when I graduated I was wondering what’s next,” she said. “When you’re crowned the Miss of your small town you get invited to all the events, you help promote them and organize them.”
Now she wants to do the same, but at national and international levels, she said.
“I hope to really remind people how great our country is … so I’m just excited to represent core Canadian values,” she said.
Bondy said it was incredible competing in Miss Universe Canada just four years after winning her hometown pageant.
“It was a huge learning curve - there’s a big difference between national and international pageants and the small town ones,” she said.
For more information on Bondy, you can visit www.facebook.com/missglobalcanada2017.
sean.mcintosh@reddeeradvocate.com
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