EXCLUSIVE
The Miss Universe Australia winner talks to WHO about advocating
diversity and why she feels as if she’s living a ‘double life’
s Indian-born Priya Serrao
was crowned Miss Universe
Australia on June 27, it was
a bittersweet moment. “It
was literally me, and that’s
it,” Serrao, 27, laughs.
After telling her friends,
family and boyfriend “not
to bother coming ” to the
national finals, the pageant
paring to head to South
rnational leg of the
competition – which launched Jennifer
Hawkins’ career – set to take place on
December 19 this year.
“This time around it should be a little bit
different,” Serrao tells WHO. “My family
and friends should all be there.”
Also jetting overseas to support Serrao
representing Australia at the international
final is her boyfriend Andrew. “I remember
having him over before the final and we were
both kind of just thinking ‘what’s going to
happen?’ because we had no idea,” she
reveals. “He was kind of shocked I think.”
In addition to her supportive family,
Serrao says her colleagues have championed
her in her new venture, despite having no
clue she’d entered the prestigious event.
“I work for the government in a nine-to-
five job, very just everyday normal, I guess,”
she says. “I’m quite focused at work and I do
my job well so everyone was pretty surprised.
“They found out because it was all over
the TV and the papers and they’d seen it on
social media as well and they had no idea
I’d entered at all.”
So, what prompted the lawyer-to-be to
enter something so “out of the blue”?
“ThereasonI reallyappliedtobeginwith
isthattheplatformthatyougetfromdoing
somethinglikethisisreallypowerfuland
I thinkyoucanuseittodosomanygood
things,”Serraoreveals.“Iwanttodolotsof
that,sodefinitelybeanadvocatefor
diversity,butalsoworkwithorganisations
whoworkwithpeoplethataremarginalised
ordisadvantagedinanyway.”
Havingstartedherpreparationforthe
finalslaterthisyear,Serraoadmitsitcanfeel
likeshe’slivingintwodifferentworlds.“Ido
myjobwellandI gohomekindofthing,but
organisingphotoshootsandthingslikethat
happensovertheweekends,”shesays.“I’ve
neverreallydoneanythinglikethisbefore.
I havealwaysbeena prettystudiousperson
soI’vekindofgota doublelife.”
Ontopofthat,Serraoreveals,“I’vegotten
backintoa routineofworkingoutandI’vealways kind of eaten relatively healthy so
that’s still happening as usual.”
But when asked whether she feelsthe
need to get in shape and look
a certain way for the finals,
Serrao says that’s not the case.
“Honestly, all I’m focusing on
in the next six months is doing
what I like doing, which is
working out. I genuinely enjoy
doing things like playing basketballor
Lagree, which is like Pilates on steroids.”
Serrao adds, “I’m not focusing on ‘oh
I need to get abs by one month’. I’m not
focused on building a certain aestheticby December. I don’t have those kind of
goals.”
Interms of what’s next for the aspiring
lawyer, Serrao says she’s just
taking it one day at a time.
“I get a bit overwhelmed when
I think anything further than the
next month really. I have no kind
of firm five-year plan just yet,” she
tells WHO. “As long as I’m working
forthesocial good in some way or the other- whenI did law, that’s what I wanted out of it
and even my work for government, and doing
Miss Universe – I’m happy.”
■ By Lauren Irvine
“I’m not
focused on
getting abs
in a month”
CHANGE
MAKER
Born in India and spending
most of her childhood in Oman
and Dubai before immigrating to
Australia aged 11, Serrao says
she wants “to be an advocate
for diversity” as well as
“disadvantaged women
and youth”.
FROM LEFT: NEWSPIX; INSTAGRAM (3)
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