Catherine Miller heads off to Russia

On Thursday however two queens were together in the Oak Room as the company gathered friends and family of Miss Trinidad and Tobago Universe 2013, Catherine Miller to bid her farewell as she leaves this country to head to Russia for the Miss Universe pageant.

Miller was expected to leave the country today and arrive in Russia on Monday where she would participate in activities leading up to the Miss Universe pageant final on November 9. It has been four weeks since Miller won the Miss Trinidad and Tobago crown on September 21 and according to Dean Ackin head of Miss TT Universe franchise holder, Ultimate Events the beauty queen has been putting in “hundreds of hours” of work to ensure she is ready for the pageant.

The 21-year-old beauty said since her win, she has continued the regime that began in the lead up to the finals of the local leg of the pageant.

However, once she was chosen from the 12 finalists, this regime is now focused on fine-tuning her own skills and talents and preparing her for media appearances and interviews. She expressed confidence in her ability to bring home the crown. “I think I would do a great job as Miss Universe. It is going to be tough because I am going up against beauty queens all trained for the same purpose but I will do better than my best,” she explained during the cocktail reception held in her honour on Thursday.

Miller said she would stand out from the crowd with her personality and by “being Trini”. Despite the outcome, she is optimistic that she would still learn from the experience. “I have been growing throughout this journey and I hope that I would continue to grow and learn whatever happens,” she said.

When asked about her national costume, Miller was full of praises for its designers, Monique Nobriega and Douglas John. “It is phenomenal and beautiful. Very patriotic, true to our culture and a great representation of our country,” she said. While she was unsure about which gown she would choose as her evening gown on the night of the final, Miller assured it would be a show stopper. While addressing persons gathered for the farewell, Ackin expressed his confidence that Miller would be Miss Universe 2013. “Her discipline, maturity, sense of purpose, warm and kind spirit, makes me confident that she would make an absolutely fabulous Ms Universe when, not if, she wins. She has already shown herself to be an excellent Miss Trinidad and Tobago although she has only been reigning for just four weeks,” he said.

“Our Miss TT would certainly bring that wonderful Caribbean warmth and infectious Trinbagonian spirit to the Russian winter and share it with the world on November 9. We are all proud of you.”

Angostura Public Affairs and Communications Senior Manager and former Miss World, Giselle Laronde-West announced at the event that Miller would be taking a Peter Sheppard art piece to present as her gift from the people of Trinidad and Tobago.

Miller, she said, has claimed the cocktail “The Trinidad Swizzle” created by Angostura’s resident mixologist Raymond Edwards, as her own and it will be served at her welcome reception in Moscow, Russia.