By Sha’uri Livori
My name is Sha’uri Livori and I am your Teen Star International 2022 winner. I come from the land down under Melbourne, Australia, and I am a part of a small family of three. I’m currently studying Professional Writing and Editing at RMIT University.
Representing Australia in Teen Star International for me means spreading the multicultural diversity of its lands and especially paying respects to the Aboriginals who are the first settlers of Australia -till this day. You may see Australia as a land of dangerous animals, but it is far from that, it inhabits gorgeous wildlife such as the Tasmania Devil, and Kangaroo, while also bringing ranges of food, street music, and far more. In which I couldn’t be prouder to represent.
While joining the Teen Star international title recently in Bangkok, Thailand, I thought I would never be able to walk away from the competition prouder than ever. But nevertheless it happened, and this was the case for many other candidates during the pageant. Julian Johnstone, Kiana Howitt, and Dale Villanueva also walked away knowing they had represented their country well, like I did myself. And I reckon we did a great job at elevating Australia through the ways we portrayed its beauty, especially during the National Costume Competition which let everyone showcase a costume that represented the beauty and heritage of their countries. My costume had a hand painted extendable cape that was shrouded in remarks of Torres Strait Islanders and Aboriginals. It also included national animals and paintings of Australian landmarks. I felt from that moment proud to have Torres Strait Islander blood and truly represent my country. And that is thanks to the creative vision behind it all – Rachel Livori my mother, and Menguito Bjay the designer.
Then as the days went by, I do admit the competition was stressful, but it was worth it. With each 5am morning call, it was difficult. The stresses of having to wake so early, wondering whether my skin prep was enough for the base of my makeup, or whether my eyeliner would stay on the whole day, it was a matter of trial and error. But being in a pageant you realise that all your hard work pays off. And that you shouldn’t compare yourself to the other girls because they are equally working as hard to achieve the same thing you hope to grasp. As I realised sisterhood was the foundation of a pageant, it soon came to be that the biggest reward was meeting each candidate. Because now I have made lifelong friends that are worth more than any crown I could obtain; they would lend a hand to you when in need, stress with you, practice with you, and even give you lifesaving makeup tips! I learnt so much from the girls in such a short time and I would not exchange that for anything.
As the days got closer to the Grand Coronation night, I remember having complete faith in myself. As I wore that light pink evening gown that accentuated my curves, it made me shine as bright as any diamond with each of the Swarovski crystals craftly attached to the fabric, and unlocked this deep trust in the dress designed by the wonderful Leo Sanchez. I knew that what she made would truly make me feel like a Queen, and it did. Then after the night was over all my dreams came true. So, thank you to Kotch Sungkrapong and Christine Huang the organisers who made this dream possible, and especially to my pageant director Choy Libres Symes who gave me this opportunity, and my catwalk trainer Andrea Smith. I couldn’t have done it without the support.
