Danielle Crosskill smiles after the 'storm'

 Garfene Grandison, Sunday Gleaner Writer

Even in the heights of scandals, utterances of favouritism, and other speculation, Miss Jamaica World 2011 Danielle Crosskill took each blow with only one thing in mind: representing her "magical little island of Jamaica" at the 2011 Miss World competition in London.

Although well-wishers across the globe were a bit disappointed in the her placement and the overall setup of the Miss World pageant, the beauty queen has returned to the island with a renewed interest in the tasks that that are at hand, as she is now focused on starting her reign as queen.

Despite her sometimes-shy demeanour, Danielle was confident and outspoken as she spoke to The Sunday Gleaner. She talked about her time in London and what lies ahead for the rest of her reign. The Miss World experience is one she says she will never forget.

"I was among 122 girls representing 122 countries - all under one roof. That, in itself, was pretty amazing. The fact that I was there not only as Danielle Crosskill but as Miss Jamaica, is something that I will always cherish as it was an honour to be representing my country," she said. Despite the schedule being very rigorous, she was able to squeeze a little fun into the mix, sharing one of her best memories.

"One of the best memories of the competition would have to be the day of the sports finals in Scotland. It was the most fun I had while there. The sports finalists were divided into four groups, competing against each other. Although we contested the different events in the freezing cold, the energy and spirit among the different countries was running high and we participated in several Scottish highland games for the first time," she said. However, the final night was where the real challenge was.

The final night of the competition was no easy feat, having three gorgeous gowns to choose from, and knowing that a nation was riding on her choice. The additional preparations leading up to the final night also made it hard for the 26-year-old.

Amazing gowns

In terms of her gown choices, she stated, "All three gowns were amazing and, as a result, it was an extremely difficult decision to make. I asked family members and friends for their opinions but all had varying preferences, not to mention, there was a poll back home where all three dresses got excellent feedback."

And, with a smile, she continued: "This made my decision only that much harder. But, in the end, I went with what I felt most comfortable in, and that was the white gown. I felt regal and glamorous, and I thought that the feathers made it unique."

In preparing for the final night, Danielle also had to maintain a healthy diet. Since the schedule was rigorous, she confessed that she was not able to maintain her strict workout regime as she had planned.

She also confessed that staying in touch with friends and family was a must in order to remain focused. "They would relay to me all the support that was being given back home as I did not have access to Facebook - or any other social media - and this enabled me to stay positive and motivated all the way up until the final night."

Having gained such a huge fan base since leaving for London, Danielle says the support was "indescribable".

"I've actually never experienced anything quite like this. I am just so amazed and grateful for all the support that I have received. I came back to a plethora of wonderful well-wishes and comments, and I feel so blessed to have already made an impact on my fellow Jamaicans. I only wish to make them even more proud of me," she explained.

Disappointment

Given that Danielle had such a unique talent piece, many of her fans expressed concern that she had not participated in the fast track event. This, she stated was no fault of her own.

"I had every intention of performing my talent piece at Miss World as I thought it would be very impacting. I spent a great deal of time preparing for my talent piece prior to leaving for London and carried all my equipment."

She went on: "Soon after arriving in London, I was notified by my chaperone that I would not be able to perform my talent piece as the only acts eligible were performing-arts pieces, for example dancing, singing or playing a musical instrument," she explained. 'Disappointment' was the only word she could use to express her emotions at that point.

Looking back at the pageant, she says there are no regrets, as she went into the competition with an open mind, with every intention of representing Jamaica to the best of her ability.

Not being placed among the top contenders isn't holding back the beauty queen in any way, as she is grateful for the experience. Now that she is back home, the rest of her reign will be "busy, busy, busy" as she puts it.

"Between my day job, and teaching, I will be continuing my volunteer services with my charity International Proxy Parents, and will be working alongside other charities. I also have a number of projects that I will be undertaking geared towards my platform of early-childhood education. It's going to be a great year," she said with excitement.

Seeing that a few queens have made the transition from Miss Jamaica World to Miss Jamaica Universe, with Yendi Phillipps being the most successful in recent years, Danielle dished about her chances of going for the Miss Jamaica Universe crown.

"Having recently been crowned Miss Jamaica World and given that I am just really beginning my reign, I believe my focus is on being Miss Jamaica World for now."

She expressed how truly blessed and grateful she was for the love and support that Jamaica continues to show every day.

"When I returned from London and read all the wonderful well-wishes I was speechless. I want to thank everyone for being so supportive, encouraging and positive throughout my journey to becoming Miss Jamaica World, and the continued support throughout the Miss World competition."

She continued: "The love that I have been given, and continue to receive, makes me a stronger person as I embark on what I know will be a fulfilling and rewarding year."