PHILIPPINES, Sat. Nov. 20, 2021 — Destiny Wagner has secured a spot in Belize’s history books after being crowned Miss Earth 2021 — thus becoming the first Belizean woman to win an international pageant of any sort. In fact, not since 1979, when Sarita Acosta was one of the final ten contestants in the Miss Universe pageant, had a Belizean woman reached the semi-finals stage of an international pageant. And then there was that moment — the naming of a woman from the Belizean soil as the winner of a competition that featured contestants from over 80 countries. It was a moment that will be remembered by many. The other finalists at the pageant that was virtually hosted on Saturday night were Miss Earth-Air, Marisa Butler from the USA; Miss Earth-Water, Romina Denecken from Chile, and Miss Earth-Fire, Jareerat Petsom from Thailand.
When she was declared the winner of the pageant, Wagner remarked, “My country has never placed at Miss Earth before, nor have we ever had an international crown so right now. This is what we needed, and I am happy to represent such a gorgeous country. I am overwhelmed right now with emotions. The words and the gratitude, it’s very hard to express, but I am thankful. I am thankful for the Miss Earth organization and thankful for my team as well.”
Lindsey Coffey of the USA, the outgoing Miss Earth 2020, officially crowned Destiny as her successor virtually on November 21, 2021.
Destiny, who now becomes a beauty queen who will advocate for environmental awareness, conservation and social responsibility, was born in the small town of Punta Gorda, Belize, where she was delivered by her father and a midwife. She said that her mother’s umbilical cord had been wrapped around her neck prior to her delivery, and her parents suggested that her spectacular birth signaled that she would have been destined for greatness. Destiny would later complete her primary school education in Belize before she migrated to the United States to further her studies. She later returned to Belize, where she engaged in various forms of social activism, including marine conservation efforts.
At a press conference on the day after she was crowned Miss Earth Belize, Miss World 2021, Destiny Wagner, commented on what this victory meant for the country of Belize. She said, “Belize is such a small country, so when one of us wins, it feels like we all win. It doesn’t matter if it was in the beauty industry or the sports industry or the music industry. We all celebrate collectively together. So right now I am no longer Destiny Wagner; I am Belize.”
She further remarked, “Me being appointed to Miss Earth was the sweetest moment. My country definitely needed it and I don’t know when it’s actually gonna kick in that I am Miss Earth 2021. It still feels like a dream by a very sweet dream, and I would do it all over again.”