Local News for the Vale

Miss Wales 2022 makes it to Miss World

By Lily Mott | Updated Thursday 22nd February 2024 10:22am |  Follow us @broradio

The Miss World Pageant began on February 20 for Miss Wales 2022 Darcey Corria and 114 other pageant queens from around the world. For Corria, a Barry native, the road to compete at Miss World in Mumbai, India has not been an easy one.

Corria says she faced the biggest challenge she's had to face in her life last year - a life-threatening car crash on the M4.

Corria suffered a broken pelvis and multiple broken bones in her neck after being involved in the crash in January 2023. At that time, Miss World was scheduled to take place in May 2023.

“There was a time that I genuinely thought, 'I don't know if I can go ahead with this. I don't know if I can fulfil my dream of representing Wales at Miss World.'” Corria said.

But now, after months of recovery, Darcey said she feels ready to go to Miss World, give it her all, and make Wales proud.

Each Miss World contestant presents a charity project at the competition. Corria's project is Darcey for Diversity which showcases her work advocating for civil rights.

Corria was inspired to raise awareness about racism in Wales following the murder of George Floyd in 2020.

“I really realized that Wales needed to take action and things needed to change” Corria said.

Corria volunteered at the Race Equality First charity, got involved in shaping anti-racism legislation in Wales, and marched in multiple Black Lives Matter protests in Cardiff, including one as a Miss Wales finalist.

“I actually ended up on the mic, chanting 'Black Lives Matter,'” Corria said. “I really felt like I was in the right place, at the right time, and what I was doing really needed to be done.”

Corria is the second woman of colour to be crowned Miss Wales in the pageant's history. Her victory marked 25 years since Melanie Jones became the first woman of colour to win the pageant.

“As soon as I was crowned Miss Wales, there was a lot of media attention around that because there hadn't been a woman of colour win in so long,” Corria said.

Corria says the attention has allowed her to use her voice, social media, and the title of Miss Wales to celebrate diversity.

Miss World 2023 will be crowned on March 9 at the final ceremony of the Miss World Pageant.

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