Edna Park: The Miss Nigeria Who Collapsed at Miss Universe Pageant When Her Name Wasn’t Called as a Finalist
Ms Edna Park was the first and last Miss Nigeria to represent the country at the Miss Universe beauty pageant.
The ex-beauty queen was also noted to be the first black African contestant to compete for the global title.
Legit.ng explored the captivating life of this remarkable woman, who fearlessly blazed a trail of historic achievements.
Edna Park was the 8th beauty queen of the prestigious Miss Nigeria Pageantry in 1964. She made history as the first Nigerian/African to represent the country at Miss Universe, at the tender age of 19.
However, her moment in the international beauty show took an unexpected turn when she fainted on stage, causing quite a stir.
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The incident occurred right after the finalists were announced, and Park's name was not among them. Overwhelmed with disappointment, the young salesgirl from Itsekiri couldn't hold back her tears and collapsed on stage, needing assistance to leave.
After shedding tears for two hours, Park received sedatives from a doctor and was subsequently admitted to the hospital for overnight observation.
Her emotional journey in the competition left a lasting impression on the audience and cemented her place in the history of Nigerian beauty pageants.
Nneka Onyegbula, the wife of former Nigerian ambassador, comforted her in the hospital, allegedly saying:
"All the judges are White, and they aren't really competent to judge dark girls' beauty."
Ms Park was taken aback by the considerable ridicule she faced in the Nigerian media when she returned.
It is worth noting that the resilient queen became the final representative of Miss Nigeria to compete at the Miss Universe pageant.
Life after Edna's reign
During an interview with This Day, the former beauty queen opened up about how her reign attracted numerous suitors. However, Edna Park made a surprising decision by choosing not to marry Olorogun Felix Ibru the former governor of Delta state, despite having two children with him.
In the interview, Edna revealed that Ibru eventually paid her dowry after her father's passing, as he wanted to participate in the traditional burial rites.
Following her reign, Edna pursued a career in beauty and underwent training in fashion design and hairdressing. She went on to establish one of England's finest beauty hair shops, known as Sherina Hair Care.
As time passed, she transitioned from the beauty industry to the social care of elderly individuals, where she ultimately retired as a professional caregiver in the UK.
Source: Legit.ng
