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Top 10 Interesting facts about Catriona Gray

Catriona Elisa Magnayon Gray is a Filipino-Australian actress who was born in January 1994. The model is famed for being crowned Miss Universe 2018. She is also a singer, youth advocate, television personality and arts ambassador. Catriona is the fourth model of Filipino origin to win the Miss Universe title.

Therefore, this article will explore the life of the talented artist so that we can get a glimpse into the life of the model. This article will also be critical in providing the reader with some knowledge on the miss universe crown and how Catriona clinched the title.

1. She is named after both her grandmothers

Her full name is Catriona Elisa Magnayon Gray. The origin of the name is interesting in that both her grandmothers’ names are in her name. Her grandmothers are named Elsa Magnayon and Catherine Gray. Catriona is just a variation of the name Katherine which is her grandmother’s name and it can be traced back to the Greek name Aikaterina.

On the other hand, Elisa and Elsa both originate from Elizabeth. The fact that her name is made of both her grandmothers’ names is endearing and interesting as most people do not know of this fact.

2. She studied music theory

Apart from clinching the title of Miss Universe in 2018, the model studied at the online school of the Berklee College of Music. She has a master’s certificate in music theory. This means that Catriona is well versed in the ideas behind the music that captures the attention of individuals and how they can be used to ensure a better understanding of its art form.

Music theory is an interesting concept that gives people insight into what makes great music and therefore having Catriona well versed with the concept is interesting.

3. She has a black belt

The model is kicking ass both literally and figuratively in that she is a black belt holder in Choi Kwang-Do martial arts. What is even more interesting is that she earned the title when she was just twelve years old. This shows that the model excels in what she does and therefore being crowned Miss Universe 2018 was just destiny.

Catriona used to practice four times a week for four years so that she could get the black belt title. This can be an inspiration to the young generation in that they need to see that people need to push themselves so that they can achieve their goals.

4. She worked to better the lives of kids in 2016 as Miss Philippines

While she was starting out in her career as her model, Catriona had the full support of her parents who encouraged her to go after her dreams. She was doing well and wanted to do more therefore, she volunteered for Young Focus which was a non-governmental organisation that advocated for education for impoverished children.

The model saw the terrible plight of the street children in Tondo and felt that she needed to do something.  To gain attention to the plight of the kids and also amplify her advocacy, Catriona decided to join beauty pageantries.

5. She was among the top 5 at Miss World 2016

Even though she never won the prestigious title of Miss World 2016 because Miss Puerto Rico Stephanie del Valle won the crown, Catriona was among the top five. She proved that she was a strong candidate as she managed to be part of the top five which is indeed a high calibre.

Being able to make it to the top five can be attributed to the fact that she has grace and she also proved to have intellectual thoughts that can make an impact on society.

6. Her mother had a vision of her winning the Miss Universe

Another interesting fact that many people do not know is that her mother dreamt of seeing her win the title of Miss Universe. Her mother saw her in a red dress when she dreamt. Catriona said that the reason she wore a red dress is that her mother had a dream that she would win the Miss Universe title in a red dress.

The model says that her mother cried when they saw each other after she had won the pageant. This is because she made her dream come true by wearing the red dress.

7. The question-answer round at the Miss Universe 2018 played a role in her win

Catriona was asked what is the most important lesson that she has learnt in her life and how would she apply it if she was chosen as Miss Universe. She answered saying that she has worked in the slums of Tondo, Manilla and lives there are sad and poor. Therefore, she taught herself to search for the beauty in it like in the faces of children and be grateful.

Being given the Miss Universe crown would help her provide something as a spokesperson. The model also said that she would use a title to teach people to be grateful and ensure that there is no negativity towards others in the world.

8. She suffers from Scoliosis

The model put a lot of effort into mastering the lava walk which was complicated for her as she suffers from scoliosis. The condition is bad enough that she cried because of the pain. Scoliosis is a condition where someone’s spine has a sideways curve which in turn results in an uneven waist and uneven shoulders in women.

This is why the walk was hard for the model in that she is required to have a straight pose when walking and yet she is uneven because of her medical condition. Therefore, being able to walk well in the lava walk is a great achievement.

9. She was not a newcomer to beauty pageants

Catriona Gray has had a lot of experience when it comes to beauty pageants. In 1999, she won Little Miss Philippines when she was just five years old. She then went on to become Miss World Philippines in 2016 and then became Miss Universe in 2018.

10. She loves travelling

The model went to the Philippines from Australia on her own when she was 18 years old. Therefore, it is no surprise that she loves travelling as she is used to travelling from one place to another. This is useful for someone in her line of work as it requires a lot of travelling. She even has a blog where she writes about her travels.