Leanna Damond has focus and confidence on her side as she enters the homestretch of the 2003 Miss Universe pageant here in balmy Panama City, Panama.
Now fully recovered from a cold, which had her under the weather for the past four days, the leggy Damond repeated her pledge to do her best tonight.
“I’m excited about what is coming up. I’m focused and will give it my best shot. I remind myself that I’m here to compete and will do my best since it is the first and last chance I’ll have,” Damond said in an interview with Stabroek News only hours before the pageant begins.
Damond is one of 71 beauties from around the world competing tonight at the Figali Convention Centre for the crown of the most beautiful girl in the universe. In the last two days she was engaged in more than 15 hours of grueling rehearsals. She admitted that although she had been boosted by the tributes given by the web site Global Beauties she was “not allowing myself to become over confident.
Everyone is here to compete and some are liked by the press. You can see it. But as I said I’m not here to look at that. I’m focusing on other things.”
Damond, a final year University of Guyana student was surprised at the reviews Global Beauties had given her. “They look for the best of the best. I’m grateful for all that they have said. It has boosted my confidence.”
When asked about her most difficult time since arriving in the Central American country famous for its canal and former dictator Manuel Noriega, Damon said she had not allowed herself to think about difficult things. “I try to be positive.”
She said that even her predecessor, Mia Rahaman’s alleged drug trafficking incident had not affected her and in all her interviews was only asked once about it.
“The other contestants did not ask me. I’m sorry...but people have to make their own decisions. It has not affected me. It’s difficult enough to win (the crown) coming from Guyana why should I add to it by focusing on negative things? Many people don’t know of Guyana. They believe that I’m from Ghana.”