Winner of Miss Teen New Zealand pageant has her sights set on overseas – Stuff

VANESSA LAURIE/Stuff

Millie Wright won the Miss Teen NZ pageant on the weekend but is hoping to take her win to international competitions.

Taranaki pageant finalist Millie Wright has been crowned Miss Teen New Zealand and now has her sights set on an international competition.

The seventeen-year-old was one of seven finalists in the national pageant competition, held in Waikato on Saturday night, and part of her prize includes attending a pageant overseas.

Its all still a bit of shock for me at the moment because I wasnt expecting it at all.

But Wright said the shock cannot last too long as she prepares for the Teen Tourism pageant in the Philippines at the end of this month.

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Im pretty keen on going, Im just trying to figure it out with school and everything.

The Miss Teen final took place at the Fitzgerald Cafe in Cambridge, and Wright was up against six other finalists, three of whom Lainey Chard, Alisha Mitchell and Makaia Singh were also from Taranaki.

Wright, a Sacred Heart Girls College student, said she started competing in pageants after her mum, Janine, saw an advertisement for Miss Taranaki.

Since Mum got me into it, she always taught me that its not the outcome that matters, but its the experience that is so important.

VANESSA LAURIE/Stuff

Wright was also scouted for the Teen Tourism Pageant in the Philippines next month.

Wright first competed in Miss Taranaki in 2020, then went on to Miss Teen New Zealand 2021. The weekends win was her first title.

I went into it not expecting to win anything but once I won, it gave me so much confidence in myself.

The event included being interviewed by the judges and a workshop to create a national costume from recycled materials.

Wright said the pageants helped her learn interview and public-speaking skills, and had also boosted her self-confidence.

I have found in my short time doing pageants, my thoughts about myself have been much happier, and Im more comfortable with who I am.

Ive learnt its more important to be yourself rather than anything else.

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The Taranaki contestants included Lainey Chard, Makaia Singh, Alisha Mitchell and Millie Wright.

The competition modelling categories included resort wear, cocktail wear and evening gowns and the other Taranaki contestants walked away with awards.

Chard, 20, won the Model of the Year category, Miss Friendship and Hollywood Glamour, as well as Best Restort Wear. She will go to Tasmania in September to compete in Miss Supermodel World.

Singh, 19, won Teen Model of the Year NZ, Best Dressed in the cocktail category, and was also named Miss Photogenic. She will go to Tasmanai in September for Miss Teen Supermodel.

Mitchell, 16, was Miss Teen New Zealand first runner-up, and won the Best Swimwear category. She has been scouted to go overseas to represent New Zealand in Miss Asia Global in Malaysia in September.

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Winner of Miss Teen New Zealand pageant has her sights set on overseas - Stuff