Not even a pandemic can come between Cape Flats royalty, Keegan-Lee ‘Apple’ Croy, and her pageant winning streak.
The 13-year-old beauty queen from Hanover Park last week won Miss Emperor and Empress SA 2020, and now holds over 40 pageant titles.
It was an online pageant and Apple says: “I can’t be limited by the pandemic, my dreams and goals aren’t limited, if I can’t do an actual pageant in this time, I can do one online.”
On its website, organisers call the pageant “the first and largest online based beauty contest in the world”, and receiving 45 000 applications for its various pageants.
Entrants had to send in a video and picture of themselves and a live interview with a panel of judges was done via Skype.
On Friday, Apple was crowned and her proud ouma Daphne Croy who is also her mentor, says she is opgemaak with Apple’s determination despite these challenging times.
Miss Emperor and Empress of South Africa It is with Great excitement to announced your Winner 2020 Miss EESA Online Pageant Snr Overall Winner ♥️ Well done Keegan
Posted by RVT Modeling School on Friday, September 11, 2020
“Her coach wanted to know why she isn’t attending modelling class anymore and I told them we could no longer afford it and then some of the mommies there got together and decided to pay for Apple’s modelling fees, they said her talent can’t go to waste.”
Apple, who is in Grade 8 at Mountview High School in Hanover Park, also got to meet one of her heroes, Miss South Africa and now Miss Universe, Zozibini Tunzi, during her homecoming event earlier this year.
“This was one of the highlights for me, it was so amazing to have met Zozibini when Mayor Dan Plato invited me along,” the young girl says.
Apple has been nominated for the South Africa Children Awards, taking place December, for her charity work.
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