Miss World is proud to welcome Carina Tyrell, Miss United Kingdom 2014 and Deborah Lambie, Miss New Zealand 2015 to Washington, D.C.
These two former contestants are here to help inspire the girls with their 'Beauty with a Purpose' projects. We sat down with Carina and Deborah to ask them about their journeys since their time at Miss World.
What is it like being back here at Miss World?
Carina - It's wonderful being back and seeing old friends and meeting the next cohort of amazing women who are doing great things for their communities.
Deborah - I have had a lovely time with being back at Miss World - what a huge honour to have the opportunity to come and meet all the contestants for 2016, and most importantly to talk to them about Beauty with a Purpose. It has been lovely to spend time with my dear friend Mireia Lalaguna, Miss World 2015. She has gone from strength to strength in her reign and I have been inspired by her unwavering commitment to charitable causes.
What have you been up to since your Miss World competition?
Carina - I recently completed my medical degree at Cambridge University and I'm now working as a doctor at Oxford University Hospitals. I am working on some scientific papers, having published one recently, and keep busy looking after patients and doing research, currently on the Zika virus. Since moving to Oxford, I continue to support the homeless community building on the experiences I gained in Cambridge. I love to keep myself busy!
Deborah - Since coming back from Miss World I have started my medical career working as a doctor at Wellington Hospital. However, earlier this year I badly injured my back in an accident. I needed to have a spinal operation and a number of months off work to recover. This was a really challenging time for me. However, during this time while I was unable to do the things I would usually do, so I was able to focus all my efforts on my Beauty with a Purpose project,LearnCoach. I have recently returned to work at Wellington Hospital and am hopeful that I will make a full recovery.
Carina, tell us more about your educational background and your work as a doctor.
I studied medicine for 6 years at Cambridge University, Murray Edwards College, and with a lot of hard work graduated with a first class degree and distinction. I am very grateful for the fantastic opportunities I received. At Oxford University Hospitals I spend my time looking after patients and attending to emergencies. This involves anything between performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation and surgery, to getting someone an extra blanket during this cold time of year.
I am interested in global health and how to best manage public health emergencies. My internship at the World Health Organization and experiences in Africa and Asia, including more recent work on outbreaks such as Ebola and Zika have fuelled my desire to make a difference in this field and I look forward to contributing more in the future.
Deborah, tell us more about LearnCoach.
LearnCoach has helped over 77,000 New Zealand secondary school students, over the last 6 months alone, with free online tutorials. We are delighted with the impact that we are having and are dreaming big dreams for 2017. We will continue to work hard to expand our content base so we can deliver more free tutorials in order to reduce educational inequalities in New Zealand.
Anything else?
Carina - Good luck to all the wonderful contestants!!
Deborah - I believe that Beauty with a Purpose is for life. Our projects should continue far beyond our time at Miss World. I am so grateful to Julia Morley and the Miss World Organisation for their continued support of me andLearnCoach!
