Candace Wilson is preparing for the competition of a lifetime and is hoping to climb her way to the top of the Face of the Globe competition.
Wilson says, "So Face of the Globe has been going for 3 years and there are over 140 that are competing each year and this year I have been selected out of 6700. I was real surprised but when I got the news, I was stoked to be representing Aotearoa."
Her parents were also stoked at the news. Her mother, Mereana Wilson says, “We’re really proud. I'm not saying that in a cocky or arrogant way because I know there are so many other girls like her in this Face of the Globe competition.”
With the competition in London and Disneyland in Paris, there is no doubt a huge cost is involved. But thanks to her entrepreneurial skills, she's footing the bill on her own.
“I have my own nail polish line and so I sponsored myself. I have an entrepreneurial instinct about me always wanted to like, have something that’s my own with anything in fashion!,” said Wilson.
Not only will Wilson's beauty be showcased in the competition, she also plans to ensure the Māori culture features prominently as well.
Besides her dexterity with the poi, according to her best friend Vicky Te Puhi, she also has some other wonderful attributes and skills to take with her into this competition.
Te Puhi says, “I think Candace's point of difference is she's real, she's authentic she's herself she can't try to be anything else other than herself and she is so funny. Some of the stuff that comes out of her mouth is just so funny but that’s just because she's so creative and unique.”
Soon we shall see whether her creative and humorous sides are enough to win the judges over.