Sometimes, the biggest battles are the ones nobody sees.
When I think about the days when I first started planning Crown of Courage, I sometimes wonder how I managed to do it all!
Honestly, I had never organised a pageant before. I didn’t know where to begin, whom to approach or even what all went into putting together an event of this scale. All I had was an idea, a lot of enthusiasm and the belief that if I decided to do something, I would find a way to make it happen.
I started meeting people, exploring possibilities and even stalking a few social media pages to understand the ABCs of the pageant world. There was so much to learn, and I was learning as I went along. I had no blueprint to follow, no big team to fall back on and certainly no idea of the challenges waiting for me.
Initially, people seemed excited about the idea. I travelled to different cities, met people, discussed possibilities and came back hopeful. But the real test began when I started following up, especially for sponsorships.
People would express interest, say yes and give me hope that things were falling into place. I would feel relieved for a moment and start planning accordingly. But when it was time to take things forward, some of them would become unreachable. Calls went unanswered, follow-ups brought no clarity, and I was left wondering whether I should keep waiting or start all over again.
The event couldn’t wait indefinitely. Dates were fixed, arrangements had to be made and expenses had to be taken care of. I couldn’t put everything on hold because someone who had agreed to help was no longer responding.
There were moments when I had to put aside my disappointment, pick up the phone again and approach someone else. Gradually, I realised that I had to fight my own battle.
There were days when I felt like a woman with a hundred hands. One moment, I was thinking about social media content to attract registrations; the next, I was preparing lists of potential sponsors and figuring out whom to approach. There was always something waiting for my attention.
I would have loved to have a big team, but this was my first season, and everything needed money. Meanwhile, the expenses kept adding up. A four-day stay at a five-star hotel, a grand stage, a long ramp, LED screens, trussing and so many other arrangements came with costs that I had not fully anticipated in the beginning.
Even when the photoshoots, grooming sessions and swimsuit shoot were going well, my mind was often occupied with sponsor follow-ups. While everyone was enjoying the preparations, I was thinking about what still needed to be arranged and how I would make everything work. I kept smiling and carrying on, but only I knew the pressure I was dealing with behind the scenes.
And then came the grand finale.
Seeing everything come together was a feeling I cannot quite describe. The appreciation from those who attended and from people who watched the event on social media meant a great deal to me. It was a moment of happiness and relief, knowing that all the effort had finally taken shape.
Looking back, Crown of Courage has taught me lessons I could never have learnt from a book. I have learnt to be more careful about whom I trust, to look beyond enthusiastic words and to value people who stand by their commitments.
For Season 2, I want to build a dependable team, work with the right people and put stronger systems in place. I am going into this season with more experience, greater clarity and a much better understanding of what it takes to bring such a vision to life.
I am proud of what I managed to create. Not because everything went smoothly, but because it didn’t—and I still found a way.
Perhaps that is what Crown of Courage has really meant to me. I began with an idea and little knowledge of the pageant world. I faced disappointments, learnt things the hard way and discovered that I could handle far more than I had imagined.
Because sometimes, before you can give someone a crown, life makes sure you earn your own.
