We are in the beginning of a new year and with new years come the chances and the motivation to start something new. Therefore, we have decided to start this wholesome series of remembering our queens of pageantry on or around their birth anniversaries. Starting with the very start of the year - January 1st.
The queen owning this date in the land of pageants is - Winfred Adah Omwakme - Our very own Miss Earth 2002. Hailing from Kenya, Winfred belongs to the Abaluyia tribe. The Abaluyia tribe is mostly present around western Kenya. She was born on 1st January 1981, to Kenyan parents. Her family comprised 5 people, including her parents, two younger siblings and herself.
Miss Omwakme is professional model who also holds the record for being the first ever woman representing Kenya to ever win a major beauty pageant. 2002 was the year of dethronement and ascension of queens in the pageant world as we saw not one but two major queens being dethroned and getting replaced by another queen from their court. Winfred is also one of the queens that faced this fate. She originally won the title of Miss Earth Air during the Miss Earth 2002 finale. Dzejla Glavovic - the winner of this competition was dethroned on 28th May 2003 and the reason stated by the Carousel Productions was her not being able to fulfil her duties as a Miss Earth. Winfred was crowned as the reigning queen months later - on August 7th in the same year. Before entering pageantry however, Winfred had quite a rough childhood. Her father passed away when she was around 10 years old and her mother died two years later. Being orphaned at the age of 12, the only support system she was left with were her elder siblings, a sister and a brother, who then took up the role of her parents in her growing years. Both her siblings went on to become lawyers in the future. She grew up and pursued a career in the medical stream. She graduated from the institute of Healthcare Management and went on to become a physiotherapist.
Her first attempt at pageantry was in 2001 when she participated in the Miss Universe Kenya 2001 pageant. She managed to make it to the finale of the competition but could not take home the crown. She then participated in the Miss Tourism World Kenya pageant in 2002 and finished as the first runner up there, giving her the right to represent Kenya at the second edition of Miss Earth. Winfred finished as the first runner up at Miss Earth in her year of the competition and was given the yellow crown of Miss Air. Having been crowned late, Winfred only had a few months to reign as Miss Earth, but she tried her level best, and beyond to maximise all the resources and opportunities provided to her by the platform of Miss Earth. She also worked towards the environment - the motto that Miss World proudly carries and works for.
Apart from pageantry, Winfred, also called Winnie by her loved ones - is very private about her personal life. Very little is known about her current life or her relationship status. Winfred is one of the most well known Miss Earths because of the dethroning in her year. She is also known for being the first ever black winner of Miss Earth and also the first African to ever wear the Miss Earth crown.