In the last 5 years of the Miss World pageant the Netherlands have had 3 semi-finalist. Last year Jacqueline Steenbeek won, besides being a top 15 semi-finalist, the sports fast track. it was for the first time a beauty queen from the Netherlands won a fast track at the Miss world pageant.
When Kim Kötter took over the Miss Nederland pageant she has been really succesfull at the Miss World pageant.
The Netherlands will be represented in this years Miss World pageant in Londen by Tatjana Maul, who won the honor to represent our country last december in Studio 21 at Hilversum.
Who is this lovely lady…?
We asked Tatjana 10 questions
Who is Tatjana Maul?
I am a young woman from The Netherlands. This year I have the honor to represent my country as Miss Netherlands World. I am graduated in European Studies with a major in International Business Management. I have danced my whole life and had my own dance school with my mom, where I gave bellydance classes. I went to acting school for three years and basically practiced almost every sport possible. I have been in a professional gospel choir for several years and have my own health blog www.dancyfood.nl, where I write about healthy food and sports. This is also the reason why I am studying sport psychology at the moment. I hope to inspire others to live a healthier life as well. I love my family, friends and my cute, little dog Yamie.
You were already crowned Miss Nederland World in december 2013, how do you stay fit and focused for the International pageant?
I love to work out and try to eat as healthy as possible (with some chocolate here and there. It’s a female necessity, hihi). I stay focussed by reminding myself what I am doing it for. Not only for Miss World, but also to be an example for others who want to live a healthy life. I used to be an international model before being crowned Miss Netherlands and I used to get e-mails from young girls sending me their diet plans. Those really shocked me because some of them existed out of less then 500 calories a day! I do NOT support eating disorders (it is a horrible decease) and don’t want to be a reason why any girl gets an eating disorder. Therefore I started my blog and write about what I do to stay healthy and fit, so that I rather become an example of being healthy instead. After all, it’s not about being skinny or fat, it’s about being healthy and feeling happy with yourself just the way you are. So I help them to live healthy and they help me to stay focussed.
Why and when did you enter the world of beauty pageants and were you surprised when you were called out as the new Miss Nederland World?
I has always been my dream to become Miss Netherlands. My mom used to compete in beauty pageants when she was young, so as a little girl I used to play with her crowns and trophies. I grew up with the dream of doing something in the entertainment business. I love to dance, sing and model so I started off with that. I also did want to get my degree in case it wouldn’t turn out the way I wanted to. So after my studies I entered an international modeling competition and won an international modeling contract. I started to travel all around the world, but was also missing my family and friends. I considered entering the Miss Netherlands competition would be a good way to be around them a bit more and it would also fulfill my childhood dream of becoming a miss. I entered the Miss Netherlands competition and was definitely surprised, happy, proud but also really thankful. What an honor it is.
The Miss World pageant has different fast track competitions. How do you prepare for them and what are the fast tracks for which the other girls have to be afraid of Miss Nederland?
I prepare for the sport challenge by working out and eating healthy. I am working with my vocal coach on the talent round. This year I learned how to do my hair, my make-up. How to dress appropriate in all different occasions and much more of that. Other girls are not my competition. I stand beside them not against them. We all have the same goal and I’m sure that everyone will try their best. So may the best girl win and in the meantime I’m sure we’ll have an amazing time together.
Last year Jacqueline Steenbeek won the sports challenge and placed 12th overall. This is a hard act to follow, what will you do to accomplish at least the same?
She definitely did amazing last year. At the moment I am working really hard to prepare so that I can show myself at my best. I will give it my 110% at Miss World. It is my absolute dream to get the honor of becoming Miss World 2014!
You have a blog about healthy food, tell us about it and why the name DancyFood?
I have a health blog where I write about food and sports. I love sports and have always been very active. I have also always danced, I am a professional dancer and even teached bellydancing since I was 14. That’s where the word ’Dancy’ comes from. And I LOVE food. So when I had to come up with a name I decided to combine those two passions of mine into dancyfood.
Beauty for Cause is the slogan of Miss World. How will you use your beauty and for which cause?
I have always felt the need to help others. I am the ambassador of Global Roots and I am working very closely together with Free A Girl. They both want to help children. Children are the future. Here in Holland we have a problem called ”loverboys”. These are men who seduce young girls (starting at the age of 12!) by pretending to be their boyfriend. They buy these girls gifts and treat them like they are the most special snowflake in the world for a very short period. When these girls fall in love, everything changes. These girls are being forced into prostitution, to take drugs and many other horrible things that no one in the world should ever go through. Especially not a child. This is why together with Free A Girl I set up a project to inform young girls about these so-called loverboys, hoping that they will recognize them when it happens and won’t fall into the hands of these criminals. With my blog I have created a platform where many of these girls can be reached. I hope that with this project I can help at least one girl from this horror.
Miss Nederland you will stay forever but you will have to crown a next Miss Nederland World sometime. What is there after your reign as Miss Nederland World?
Hopefully I will be honored with the title of Miss World 2014 by then.
200 years Nederland was a big event and you were part of it. What makes you a typical dutch women and what will you tell the world about the Netherlands that makes the Netherlands so such a great place to live?
I am so thankful to have grown up in a place where I got the chances and opportunities to follow my dreams. My mom is from Macedonia and I know that if I was born there I would not be where I am right now. I would not have been able to go to college, to model, dance, sing, have a blog because of cultural differences and poor circumstances. I know that my life could have been a lot more different and I wake up thankful for what I have every day. This is also why I feel such a need to help other children who did not get these chances and opportunities. I feel obligated to give something back where ever I can. I live in a country where almost every culture in the world is represented and they all live together in peace. I am so proud to say that I have friends from so many different cultures. I can’t explain how much I have learned from them. I live in a country where I can be equal to men, where I can speak my mind and be who I want to be. Because of the many different cultures here, we have so many different things. Different world foods, different languages, different dances, different houses, cities and the list goes on.
I am a Dutch woman because I speak my mind and I know what I want. I am open minded and also very down to earth. Also I LOVE herrings (raw fish), a typical Dutch food.
What are the rules you live your life by?
Enjoy the moment, be in the now. Treat others how you want to be treated and be nice. And to use the wise words of my mom: Throw roses where thorns are. If we are all a little bit nicer to each other, the world would be a happier place.
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Photocredits: Lawrence Mooij@Dutchfoto
We would like to thank: Tatjana Maul for her time in her busy schedule, we will follow her at Mis World in december and off course Kim Kötter…..
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