How to be Perfect
Karelya Medialdea is perfect. So perfect, that she has been crowned Canada’s Perfect Woman 2016. But being perfect does not mean that she gets everything right or that she never makes a mistake, it’s more complicated than that. And the good news is that we can all be perfect, in fact, we already are.
Born in Havana, Cuba before moving to Madrid and then Canada at age 13 Karelya leads a busy and fulfilling life. She is fluent in English, Spanish, Italian, French and conversational Arabic. She is passionate about culture and Flamenco dancing; and has been for over 12 years. Taking every opportunity to dance or listen to music while also enjoying walking and meditation she keeps herself balanced while contributing to a number of worthy causes. A Criminal Justice Degree graduate with a Diploma in Liberal Arts and a French Minor, Karelya works with the Elizabeth Fry Society helping women and children that have been in abusive relationships; as well as working as the Youth Coordinator with immigration services of Northern BC, helping immigrant youth integrate into Canadian society.
Before being crowned Canada’s Perfect Woman 2016, Karelya had already participated in previous beauty pageants. In 2008 she was crowned Miss Canada America Latina, where she represented Canada in the Dominican Republic at the Miss America Latina del Mundo beauty pageant. During the pageant Karelya was successfully awarded the title of Queen of North America and the Caribbean due to her high academic achievements.
When receiving the title of Canada’s Perfect Woman 2016, Karelya realized that she would once again have the honour to represent Canada at an international level. The title came with great responsibility and expectations but also with many realizations.
Most importantly Karelya knew that the way she presented herself, that her image as Canada’s Perfect Woman, could be very influential to other women. As a result she knew that she had to present herself in a way that would provide a positive role model to other women, and not just young women, but women of all ages and cultures. Faced with the daunting prospect of being a role model to many, Karelya knew that there was only one way that she present herself in a positive and responsible manner while carrying the mantle of Canada’s Perfect Woman 2016. And it was to simply be herself.
If we look at things simply, it is fair to say that no one is perfect. We all make mistakes, and even the most gifted amongst us do not excel at everything. But ultimately, isn’t that one of the beauties of human nature. Effectively, if we all work together, and we all contribute where we can, doing what each of us is best at, we can achieve anything.
As Karelya pointed out there are many pressures placed upon us in our modern society. We are expected to fit into the mold that has been created for us. We are expected to keep up with the latest technology, the latest material trends and a certain body image that is considered beauty. And so on and so on. Society has created many expectations for us to fulfill almost as though we have been given a formula that we must follow. Unfortunately however, many of us don’t fit that formula or we fall outside of the criteria that society considers to be acceptable.
As the title states, Karelya is expected to represent the image of the perfect woman. But what does being perfect really mean? And it is here that Karelya is targeting her message. Be yourself, because that is where your true strength lies. Or in Karelya’s words “beauty lies in the way you speak, the way you move and the way that you carry yourself. It lies in your personality, let that shine. The moment that you realize your own worth, all of your fears will disappear. And this is your power that no one else is you, this is beauty, and this is perfection.”
Right from the beginning of her term as Canada’s Perfect Woman, Karelya knew that she could only succeed by being herself because trying to be anybody else would not just be disingenuous, it would also be very hard work, just as it would be for any of us. Being yourself is the best thing that anyone can be. Using our own strengths and own abilities we can all come to realize our own self worth, just as Karelya did, initially through modeling, participating in beauty pageants and winning the title of Miss Canada America Latina 2008; and then later as Canada’s Perfect Woman 2016.
And perhaps the true beauty of Karelya’s message is its’ simplicity. We all have the inherent ability to be ourselves, in fact it is the easiest thing that we can be. While society gives us a criteria to fulfill about what we wear and what we do, the endless pursuit of achieving that would likely leave each of us feeling unfulfilled. But by being ourselves, we can use relax in the comfort of our own uniqueness and enjoy our own perfection.
