Mzansi was left reeling in shock upon hearing that there would be no representative from SA during the Miss Universe finale 2024. This follows after the Miss SA title holder, Mia le Roux had to briskly withdraw from the 73rd Miss Universe pageant due to health issues.
Mia recently took to her Instagram page to explain the decision which led to her withdrawal, captioning her post: “My message to you South Africa.”
In the clip, she started by thanking everyone for their kind wishes, support and prayers. Mia revealed that while she was in Mexico for the Miss Universe pageant, she suffered from vertigo – a condition causing a dizziness and disorienting sensation of the world spinning.
“As you all know, your balance lies in your ear. When you have a hearing impairment, there is a high chance of experiencing vertigo, which can be very intense and pronounced, causing major issues with vertigo and balance, you need to be physically strong in order to combat and fight it,” she said.
Our golden girl explains that she was prepared mentally to compete in the Miss Universe pageant, however, physically her body was taking a lot of strain.
She also revealed that she sought medical help while in Mexico City, but her condition was not improving.
“On the night of the preliminary competition, I continued to push myself and I was ready in my national costume to showcase it proudly, but my body was just saying no. My vertigo intensified and became unmanageable.”
Mia disclosed that while she waited backstage, she fell repeatedly and was not able to get up and stand without support. She then had conversations with production personnel, that she did not feel as though she was in a position to safely walk on stage.
“I had to very quickly realise and be at peace that this was not the path for me. It was not easy as I was not doing this for myself but for all of you, South Africa and for every single person who thought they could never be on a platform like this.”
“It is not enough to just open doors, we need to have systems in place to foster inclusivity. I hope this experience can help educate the world of pageantry and beyond. I will continue to serve as your Miss South Africa,” said Mia.
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Also see: Mia Le Roux takes a step back from Miss Universe:’It must be deja vu’ | Bona Magazine
