Beautiful, inside and out

SHELLEY Buckle, recently crowned Miss Ballito 2013 at a glamorous final at Collisheen, is more than the pretty faced ‘world peace’ promoting stereotype that has long been associated with beauty pageants.

A marketer and graphic designer by trade, this year’s 23-year-old Miss Ballito exudes a quiet and confident intelligence. She is also a pianist, tennis player and a roller-derby skater.

“I’m over the moon,” she said in an interview recently, “and it still has not really sunk in yet.”

As the grand prize for winning the Miss Ballito, Shelley was presented with two tickets to Dubai and three nights’ accommodation for two, courtesy of Emirates and Emira t e s H o l i d a y.

Shelley was born deaf, and though she can hear with a hearing aid in her right ear, she learnt to lip read, and has picked up sign language.

“I really want to raise awareness about deafness. I know a lot of people who cannot hear at all, and it’s nearly impossible for them to get an education when they cannot hear what a lecturer is saying.

“They should be a part of us,” she said, after emphasising what an isolated world deaf people live in.

Winner of the Miss Deaf SA competition in 2011, Shelley said she thought she “might as well just give it (Miss Ballito) a try”.

As part of the competition each finalist had to raise R2 500 in sponsorship for charity, and Shelley made it clear that she found the experience very rewarding.

“It has really helped my confidence,” she said, speaking about the whole process, “in everything.”

Shelley will be working closely with the Rotary Club Zimbali and as an ambassador for Ballito, she will continue to be involved with raising funds for local charities.

Ballito babe, Tiffany Gore was crowned first princess and Miss Congeniality and second princess was Nozipho Msweli.

The winner of a modeling contract with Models International went to finalist Talya Sookdawu. The Miss Ballito pageant was a success, raising a phenomenal R126 500 for local charities.