Fil-Am Miss USA R'Bonney Gabriel on winning Miss Universe 2022: 'Best feeling in the world'
"Let me tell you, it is the best feeling in the world."
That's what Fil-Am Miss USA R'Bonney Gabriel said after being crowned Miss Universe 2022 on Sunday, Jan. 15 (Philippine time), marking the first time for a USA representative to take the highly coveted title in 10 years. Olivia Culpo, who hosted the 71st edition of the tilt, was the last one to clinch the top prize in 2012.
Gabriel could not help but gush about her win as she spoke with reporters in a press conference after the pageant. She recalled that all of the preparation she went through to come to this triumphant moment was not a walk in the park.
"The journey was not easy. I won Miss USA in October so I had three months to prepare and it was very challenging. There were ups and downs, and times where I doubted myself," Gabriel said.
Despite her fears, the eco-friendly fashion designer remained strong by clinging to her purpose in joining the prestigious competition.
"It's such an amazing feeling to be standing here now as Miss Universe and I hope that this shows the world that even if you have negative comments about you or people don't believe in you, you just keep going and show everyone that no matter what, if you stand strong in who you are, you can be victorious," Gabriel encouraged.
Opening up about how her past attempts to win in other beauty pageants turned out unsuccessful, the new Miss Universe titleholder highlighted that failures are not necessarily bad.
"Why do I keep getting first runner-up? Maybe this isn't for me, and then I found out that I actually had one more chance to compete and I always thought, 'If I don't try again then I will always have that regret in my life.' And I tried again and I actually won Miss Texas, and then Miss USA, and then now Miss Universe," Gabriel said.
"Your failure can actually be an opportunity to come back stronger," she continued.
While she represented the USA, the Fil-Am beauty queen expressed her pride for being a half-Filipina and thanked her Pinoy fans in Tagalog for their support. "Mabuhay Philippines, mabuhay Filipino fans! Maraming maraming salamat sa lahat ng tulong ninyo. The support is everything, I feel it in my heart, I heard it in the room. It was an amazing energy. The Filipino blood is so strong, we are hardworking, we are fun, and we are determined, and I am so proud to be a half-Filipina."
The 28-year-old beauty queen also took the time to discuss the advocacy that's close to her heart, which involves bringing awareness to pollution caused by the fashion industry and promoting sustainability.
"The fashion industry is the second-largest polluting industry in the world when you think about how clothes are made in factories, and there's a lot of waste involved all over the world. I wanna bring awareness to that and how we can be more sustainable in our factories," she said.
Adding underpaid workers and child labor into the subject, she said that she wants to use her voice to bring those issues to light now as the new Miss Universe.
The 71st Miss Universe tilt was held at New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in Louisiana, USA, where Gabriel was followed by Miss Venezuela Amanda Dudamel and Miss Dominican Republic Andreína Martínez as first runner-up and second runner-up, respectively.
Philippines’ Celeste Cortesi didn't make it to the semi-final round of the competition, putting an end to the country's years-long streak of placing in the beauty pageant's semi-finals from 2010 to 2021. At the 70th Miss Universe, Beatrice Luigi Gomez of Cebu City finished in the Top 5.