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Sri Lankan, Miss Madhushani Mayadunne, 22, was crowned Second Runner-up at the Miss International 2012 pageant held in Okinawa, Japan earlier this year.
Miss Japan won the title, while Miss Finland was the first runner-up and Miss Dominican Republic the third runner-up.
An ex-student of Visaka Vidyalaya Colombo, she continued her highest studies in the USA and continues to work in the fashion and beauty industry.
Madhushani who can speak English, Sinhala, Hindi and Spanish fluently says: “I spent countless hours training hard for the pageant, including learning a little Japanese so I could present myself appropriately.”
Speaking about her experience in Okinawa, she said although there was a jam-packed schedule leading up to the finale, she enjoyed it tremendously and gained a lot of knowledge. After winning her title, the celebrations continued with official visits around Japan, along with a dinner at the Sri Lankan ambassador’s residence in Japan; where she delighted in sharing her home cuisine with the other winners.
Madusha Mayadunne says it’s something she’s been doing all her life and plans to continue for as long as she can.
The daughter of an admiral in the navy who was posted around the globe due to his position, Madusha can easily identify with the term ‘global citizen’.
Having been educated in Sri Lanka, India, England and USA, she credits her diverse upbringing for exposing her to various cultures; which in turn taught her greatly about people. She believes that diversity in education is very important, more so than a textbook education.
“I have always felt that I have been an ambassador of sorts for my country because the alumni would come and ask me about Sri Lanka, and they would then judge the country through me, so I always felt I had to uphold the right image for them.”
While schooling in England, the statuesque beauty took part in extracurricular activities such as canoeing, archery and kayaking, which she credits for keeping her slim figure.
For now, to keep in shape she follows an exercise regime of yoga and pilates but believes in simply eating healthy and living a healthy lifestyle to stay fit.
“The pageant teaches you to trust in yourself and know that if you work hard things will come to you. We formed such a tight bond that even after the pageant, most of the contestants do keep in touch; I’m definitely close with a lot of them.”
Notable designer, Andre Stefan worked alongside her to create all the dresses she wore for Miss International.
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