Marina Mora talks about motherhood and recalls intense passages of Miss World 2002: “They threatened to kill us” | TVMAS

On the night of December 7, 2002, at the historic Alexandra Palace in London, the Peruvian representative, Marina Mora (Guadeloupe, 1979), was selected as the second finalist in the most controversial Miss World edition in history. The winner is Miss Turkey, Azra Akin. The tournament, which was supposed to be held in Nigeria, was moved to the British capital due to opposition from radical sections of the Muslim community. “There were tense moments as fanatics who disagreed with the match threatened to kill us.“, the former beauty queen recalled.

“They sent us back to London several times because they believed there was a bomb on the plane. It was a tough competition for more than a month, moving from one place to another and facing different climates. We were over 107 contestants. All in all, I have to admit that it was a beautiful experience, I met incredible people and a country with an amazing culture.”, he nods.

the beginning

Mora Montero started modeling at the age of 16 and beauty pageants as an adult. It was always clear to her that she would be a model, which is why she left her native Guadeloupe for the capital after finishing school in search of opportunities.

“My parents supported me, but they stipulated that I should pursue a university degree alongside modeling. I studied Business Marketing”, Narra.

Before being crowned Miss Peru World 2001, Marina won the Miss Peru Tourism 2000, Miss Tourism World and Miss Latina International titles. During that time, he became one of the most representative and beloved faces of the popular entertainment venue “Ar Con Erre”.

“When I worked as a model on Raul Romero's project, it was the boom of Panamericana TV. People were waiting for us at the exit of the canal. Affection of the public. It was a beautiful time and a sacrifice at the same time because I was involved in modeling, television and preparing for Miss Peru. I hit the gym at 5am and went to the spa. It was a tough product because they called me when I was a little overweight.”, he commented.

Updated

For years, Mora was overweight due to hypothyroidism. In 2021, after gastric band surgery, he managed to lose 20 kg.

“When I put on weight, I got criticism from Magali, Sanka, whose theme is empowering women. I never paid attention to him, or tried to justify my health problem because I didn't think it was appropriate. All I did was treat myself. Expressing yourself in a derogatory and hurtful manner is not humane or loving, and it does not speak well of the person doing it. You have to have a little empathy because you can be harmful, develop psychological problems, develop anorexia or bulimia. It never happened to me because I always had good self-esteem.”, he points out.

In 2004, shortly after ending her Miss Peru World reign, Marina launched the beauty and personal care product brand Bellissima. She opened a comprehensive training school bearing her name, where she teaches modeling, catwalk, make-up and social etiquette workshops. She is also in charge of the Miss Teens Model Peru and Little Queen Peru beauty pageants.

“What we do with our students is find them, train them, empower them and make them aware, and then they become well-known models or beauty queens. We have had Janet Leyva, Kalyn Rivera and recently crowned Miss Grand International, Luciana Fuster at the school. We have students looking good, improving their posture or learning how to apply makeup.”, he explained.

Life is a gift

Mora is completing a year of learning one of her biggest dreams, becoming a mother with her husband, businessman Alejandro Valenzuela. On September 22, Sophia was born.

“It was In Vitro Fertilization (IVF). I tried it naturally, but I'm not too responsible because at 40 the quality of eggs is not there and I happily froze mine. I got pregnant in January and I had to rest for three months because of my treatment. It took me a while to change, to realize that I was responsible for a life that was growing inside of me. The first month I devoted myself completely, the second I was not afraid, the third, this, I adapted a little more. Maybe with a lot of emotions because the baby surprises me every day. I am in the happiest phase of my life”, he insists.