Poland’s Karolina Bielawska just became the winner of Miss World pageant 2021. Shree Saini from the United States bagged the title of the first runner-up. She is of Indian origin.
In 2021, she became the first Indian-American to win the crown of Miss World America.
Born in Ludhiana, Punjab in 1996, Shree Saini moved to the US when she was five years old. A model and motivational speaker, Shree was diagnosed with a heart problem when she was 12 and underwent surgery and has had a permanent pacemaker since then.
She also overcame a major car accident which left her with burns all over her face but recovered soon.
Despite everything, she completed her Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and has won several beauty pageants. In 2018, she was crowned Miss India Worldwide at a contest held in the Fords City of New Jersey.
On being crowned Miss World America, she told The Tribune:
At Miss World, I believe I am not only representing myself but I am also representing 333 million Americans and 3.5 billion Indians, including Indians outside of India.
Her grandparents still live in Punjab and Shree visits them whenever she is in India. A Punjabi by heart, Shree also speaks Hindi.
Main Hindi mein bol sakti hun and Punjabi vich vi gal kar sakdi han. My parents have made it a rule to speak our mother tongue at home. I relate with Indians as much as with Americans. My parents have kept our upbringing both Western and Eastern.
Apparently, Shree also raised ₹5,60,000 for Covid India Relief funds and is actively involved in promoting heart health.
