Margo Cooper, Miss World Bulgaria 2019, says she dedicated her win at the beauty pageant to her friend Dijana, who lost her battle to cancer last year. She says she was the one who encouraged her and made her believe in herself and her words will always remain like a guiding force in her life.
In a chat with us, Margo talks about her education, her parents, her winning moment and much more. Read on to know:
Q) How were you in studies?
A) I have always been an average student. I did well but with huge efforts. I think I can write a book “How An Average Can Excel”. I didn’t have any special talent or any extraordinary abilities. My parents were strict with me and that’s why I am very disciplined. It came as a surprise to everyone when I decided that I didn’t want to go to school anymore and wanted to be a university student. I finished the last two school years in one and became a student of the best university in Russia at the age of 16.
Since then I know that everything is possible if you are motivated and you know what you want. I’m a dreamer, and I’m always driven by enjoying the process to achieve the goal.
Q) How important education is according to you?
A) Education opens many doors and gives a lot of opportunities. The first thing that counts is a character, intelligence and kindness. It’s important to understand why you study. Nowadays you can live and earn without a university degree. But if you have some higher goals and you want to be useful to this world, then education (even self-education) is a must.
I love to study, but mostly I love to learn. I learn from every person I meet and from every life situation. Unfortunately, school education still remains like a privilege for many children in the world and even professional education. Every child and every human being needs to study; everyone should have the same opportunity to choose who they want to become. I want to live in a world where everyone has access to education, it’s a basic need in the modern world.
Q) When did you decide to participate in a beauty pageant and why?
A) There is no fairytale story behind this. Beauty pageant came to my life at the moment when I wasn’t happy and didn’t like the way I was living. I wanted to travel, to explore the world, to live in different countries. My friend suggested that I participate in the contest, and it sounded like a joke to me because I was always thinking that I will make a career in some big company. But I tried and that’s how all this started.
Then I was working as a model internationally and was taking part in contests. I have been to 49 countries. It was an exciting period of my life because I did not just see the beauty of the world but also its dark side.
It gave me a vision of our reality and helped me to find my mission to try to make the world a better place for everyone.
Q) Were your parents supportive of your choice?
A) My parents didn’t expect me to make a career in it because they did not think it to be serious enough. But they wanted to see me happy and so I was never afraid of failure because my family loved me unconditionally. I can also say that if you want something then it is important to find support inside yourself.
Q) Any suggestions for all those aspiring to participate in a beauty pageant?
A) I would advise them to know why they are doing this to understand what they really want. Because a contest cannot be a goal in itself, the participation will be beneficial for you only if you enjoy the process and have a clear vision of why you want this.
Fame by itself doesn’t bring happiness. I know in India a lot of girls want to compete at beauty pageants and to win it because they want to go to Bollywood. But if modeling and acting is your passion don’t leave it just because you didn’t win a contest. I think a beauty pageant can be a good fundamental but you are the one who is building the rest on it.
My road to winning (not just the Miss Bulgaria World title, but anything in life) was not just full of fun; I came across failures, disappointments, struggles, sacrifices, refuses and losses. But this is how you grow as a person. When you make a mistake, learn from it and keep on trying. I want young girls to know that they are worthy, beautiful and should be confident despite the results of castings.
Q) Could you share the winning moments of Miss Bulgaria with us?
A) I decided myself that it was going to be my last contest because there is no bigger pride and responsibility than to be the face of the whole country at Miss World. I saw myself as a person who will keep this title with pride because till that moment I already had some level of publicity and my goal was to make a difference and to do my social work on both national and international level.
I came to win but was ready to lose. If you accept the possibility of a failure, you are already a winner. It made me believe in myself even more. I dedicated my win to my beloved friend Dijana, who lost her battle to cancer last year. She was a true fighter and always told me to believe in myself. She will always be in my memories and her words a guiding light for me.
Q) What is your focus now in terms of your career?
A) There are two main paths in my career right now. First, my philanthropic initiative. I want to keep filming documentaries about problems in the world and share with others the ways they can help. I want to bring my charity activities to a professional level, and I am going to pursue Philanthropy at a university in the UK. For me it is very important to be heard and to help as many people as possible.
My second plan is to bring my life coaching to a new level that can reach more people. I want to share my knowledge and experiences to help people to live a happy and stress-free life, to understand what they truly want, and to get it. So I’m working on this. And to travel as soon as it is possible. I will visit India, too, for both of my projects. That’s not everything of course. I’m working on many things right now.
Q) We all have mentors in our life, who is that one person whom you look up to and why?
A) I surrounded myself with very inspiring people, and I met a lot of new interesting ones too. I’m very lucky because I learn from everyone and they are so happy to share their knowledge and help with their advice. I can’t name one because every person I met taught me something. I wouldn’t be who I am without all the kind and supportive people around.