In the 71 years that the Miss Universe pageant has existed, 2023 was the first year that a plus-sized contestant has ever competed. She made waves with her appearance in the pageant and showed complete confidence in herself and her physique. She was celebrated around the world, and many people loved her inclusion in the iconic event. But there were also many who expressed criticism of Miss Nepal and her appearance. She was truly graceful in her reception of the criticism. Read on to learn more about the first ever plus-sized contestant in the Miss Universe pageant.
Miss Nepal, Jane Dipika Garrett, was overjoyed at her progress in the November 2023 competition. She has aspirations to become a model and has found it hard to pursue that goal in the past because of low self-esteem. But because of the amazing feedback that she got from the pageant, she was able to strengthen her confidence and self-image to embrace herself fully. “I came with a humble heart… but when I won on that stage, I got the loudest applause from the whole entire audience,” she said.
Garrett could not believe how much applause she received while on stage. She said she did not have expectations and was just proud to represent her country and women around the globe. “It was like a breakthrough moment for me and for society that they see something different and real-size beauty,” she shared.
The unfortunate part about her journey with Miss Universe is that not everyone was so supportive of the inclusive approach of including her. She got a very intense reaction from some people, but she did her best to receive them without being too hurt. Some responders said things like, “Why don’t you go to the gym?” She went on to say, “It’s like they don’t even know my story. They don’t even know what I’m going through.”
Garrett even revealed that she deals with health issues that contribute to weight gain. She suffers from PCOS, or polycystic ovarian syndrome. This condition causes women to have higher than normal levels of androgens, which can lead to things like acne, increased hair growth, fluctuating weight gain, and irregular menstrual cycles. “The other thing is mood swings, a lot of fatigue. So every day, like, it’s very difficult because we just continuously feel tired,” Jane said.
Because of PCOS, Garrett has gained a lot of weight recently. This took a toll on both her self-esteem and her mental health overall. But she has been dedicated to improving her mental health and trying to adopt a positive mindset. This is when she decided to embark on a new journey to increase her self-image. She did this wonderfully by competing in the Miss Universe pageant. While she was on stage, it was definitely a moment of triumph for Miss Nepal. She conquered her goal, and it shows how she was able to carve out a new path to her own self-acceptance.
While her participation in Miss Universe was beneficial for her personally, Garrett has also become an inspiration to women around the world. She is showing women everywhere that all different types of bodies and sizes are beautiful and worthy of acceptance and praise. It is also a step in the right direction within the beauty pageant world. Miss Universe took an important step forward by honoring diverse body types, and being willing to put a plus size beauty queen on a globally recognized and celebrated stage.
