BEAUTY TALKS WITH NIKOLETA DUCHONOVA – MISS INTERNATIONAL SLOVAK REPUBLIC 2013
By Stephen I. Diaz
Yes, they are the other part of the former Czechoslovakia, but, what is with this other half – that is to say, Slovakia – that Big 4 Pageants seem to dislike that they keep on ignoring them year after year? For example, they debuted remarkably well as a new independent country – officially called Slovak Republic – at Miss Universe, with an immediate Top 6 finish in 1994, courtesy of the immaculate beauty, Silvia Lakatasova. However, they have never placed in the semifinals list despite having consistently participated each year since then, while the Czech Republic has already placed several times in recent years. This year at Miss World, which was held in Indonesia, they finally got a Top 20 placement – their one and only placement since competing in 1993, while Czech Republic already has a crown which they won in 2006 courtesy of Tatana Kucharova. The reigning Miss Earth, Tereza Fajksova is also from Czech Republic, while Slovak Republic has only one semifinals placement in this annual pageant about mother nature. Miss International is also one pageant where the proud Slovakians have competed consistently – and with utmost loyalty – since 1993. They can only boast of only one placement since the split of the former Czechoslovakia. (Note that Czechoslovakia has won 1st and 2nd Runners-up respectively in 1990 and 1991). However, the Czech Republic, which competed at Miss International on an irregular basis (sometimes they participate, sometimes they don’t), already has five semifinals placement, one 4th Runner-up and one 2nd Runner-up placement, since 1995. So what is wrong with Slovak Republic, really? A true pageant expert may ask such intriguing question, considering the fact that Slovakians are undeniably gorgeous, beautiful and attractive. In fact, their male counterparts are doing well in male pageants, with already one title to boot. But that is another story. In the meantime, let’s get to know this year’s Miss International bet from this wonderful country in Eastern Europe. The angelic beauty, Nikoleta Duchoňová, is determined to give her country their long deserved recognition in international pageantry, and she is ready to conquer Tokyo!
**Actual interview provided by Tomas Haberl
1. Please tell us about yourself, your family background and your ambition in life.
My name is Nikoleta Duchoňová. Im 19 years old. I was born in Trnava in 1994. I have one older brother Lukas and younger sister Laura. Our familly has a new little cute member. He was born just one year ago. His name is Damian. We used to move as a family from place to place a lot in past and now we live in a small village called Trebatice. I study at University of Konstantin Filozof in Nitra and my main subject there is culture. My ambition in life is to become a successful person in any postion the destiny will get me. I have been doing many volunteering activites for six years and I keep trying to do my best to help everyone if its possible. It is a great experience for me as well as I learn a lot from people I do help. For example I help in the children´s centres where I play with children and also organise some activites like bootcamps, funny afternoons or carnivals. We always have a lot of fun together and our main goal why we do it is to help children whose parents are busy because of their work to avoid bad companies.
2. Where in Slovak Republic are you originally from? Please tell us a little bit about its history and culture.
I am originaly from Trnava but now I live in a small village near Piešťany called Trebatice. Trebatice is a typical Slovakian village with good and helpful people. I love it especially in spring where you can see the nature waking up after a cold winter. I like watching the sunrise and sunset from my house, because it is worth it. My village is very close to a town called Piešťany which is one of the most beautiful cities in Slovakia. It is the biggest and best known spa town in Slovakia and has around 30,000 inhabitants. The spa specializes itself in a treatment of chronic rheumatic and arthritic diseases and post-accident lessions of joints and bones. The spa is located on the Spa Island between two branches of the Váh river. Piešťany is also typical for the most beautiful traditional costumes in Slovakia and Piešťany is really popular for its little round titbit, which our nation calls OBLÁTKY.
3. How is it growing up in your country? Please describe a typical Slovakian childhood.
In my opinion, growing up in Slovakia is no very different to growing up in other countries. Kids can choose from many free time activities. They have many options to get a good education. Our typical sports for boys are hockey or football which are Slovakia´s most popular sports and for girls it is especially volleyball or they can dance. In Slovakia we have many dancing groups where children can learn different types of dance and I am proud to say that Slovakia belongs to the one of the most successful countries in the “dancing world“. I am also very passionate for dancing which I also chose for the talent competition at Miss International. Anyway, all these activities can children do at schools or in the leisure centres. Maybe growing up in the city and growing up in the village is a little bit different, because kids from village can work in gardens and people grow their own crops like vegetables or fruits and they can keep pets. And usually this everything kids from the city cant do (unless they live in the houses with huge gardens). Therefore I am very glad to live in a village as I do not miss this!!
4. In your opinion, what do you think is the essence of being a beauty queen?
From my point of view is every queen different and every queen can be a good and glamorous. It is the same like with people. Every person is different and has its own magic. When we meet a person, we feel something. Some feeling. Some essence, which can have only this person. And this feeling can say a lot about the person. It is not a fairytale, it is true. It is our own protection system. When we say “beauty queen”, people imagine beautiful young woman with crown, perfect body and teeth, but the essence of being a beauty queen is in the middle of the heart, in the middle of the mind and in the middle of the spirit. The essence of being a beauty queen is in a “queen“ like this.
5. Outside your family and relatives, who is your personal role model, and why?
I dont have my personal role model. To be more concrete, my personal opinion is that the life we live gives us our own lessons and experience and that we should always try to reach as much as possible from those experience, whether they are good or bad, and they will move us forward, make our personality stronger and protect us in the future.
6. You will arrive in Japan this week. How did you prepare for the pageant, and have you been learning the Japanese language and culture?
I have been trying to learn Japanese language but my progress and results is a different story. A couple weeks ago I tasted a sushi for a very first time!! and I love it. I cannot wait to experience it at least one more time in Japan. Real sushi from Japan, isn´t it exciting?? J I am so glad to travel to Japan to represent my country and to experience everything I have read and seen in books or tv. Its like dream comes true for me.
I am also happy with my final evening gown, it is so classy and I feel very grand!!
7. Why do you think you should be the next Miss International?
Hard question to answer. But maybe I would say that because I believe that I have the essence of being a beauty queen. I think I am an example that beauty is not everything. In Miss Slovakia Contest there were so many beautiful girls competing with me and the jury had a really difficult decision to choose the best ones. I became 1st Runner Up because they believed in me. They believed in my personality, my way of how I see myself, how I want to live my life, how passionate I am in helping children and how I treat people without differences. They believed that I am the one to represent Slovakia at Miss International so now it is my turn to prove that they chose me well. Japan, I am coming!!
