Well, Autumn is in full swing, and It’s also that time of year when the search to find Miss Universe Australia is well underway with state finalists being announced across the country.
So we thought it would be a perfect time to kick off some home state interviews with Chloe Keenan. Congratulations on making it through to the state finals, why don’t you tell us about yourself?
Thank you! I’m a student at the University of Queensland and a Flight Attendant with Virgin Australia, with a passion for health and fitness, water sports and music. I also love to travel, and I’m fortunate enough to spend a lot of time in Bali and other regional destinations overseas and within Australia through my work… in fact, I’m off to Canberra tomorrow morning for something different! I grew up in the beachside town of Hervey Bay, so I’d definitely consider myself more of a country girl at heart even though I’m currently living in the city.
We all have motivations, Mine usually revolves around coffee but what was your key motivation for entering the MUA competition?
Haha! I had such an enriching and eye-opening experience with MUA last year; I was thrilled to participate again this year. I’m really passionate about volunteering for disadvantaged children and advocating for funding and raising awareness about non-communicable diseases. I’m really thankful to be involved with MUA because they support and encourage us to pursue meaningful causes. I think that’s the fundamental reason why I’m proud to be involved.
What part of the Miss Universe Australia program are you most looking forward to?
I felt humbled to be involved with the Toybox initiatives last year, and I’m keen to do more this year. I’ve had such great experiences with the sponsors, and it’s a life-changing experience. It’s a pleasure to work alongside other inspirational young women.
We are all unique so what would you say is something that makes you stand out from the other contestants?
I’m very energetic! I don’t need much sleep to keep functioning (even though I aim for 8 hours 😉 ) and I love exercising. I sing casually as well. I’m also quite entrepreneurial, and I’m working on a couple of small businesses at the moment. I guess you could say that I have my fingers in a lot of pies, haha! I think my experience living in various places and travelling extensively with my work for years has allowed me to understand what drives different people and what other people’s values are. These experiences have enabled me to develop a genuine sense of empathy for others, which I am really thankful for.
With the state finals, less than a fortnight away, has your routine changed at all?
Not really! I work hard, but my lifestyle doesn’t always allow consistency 24/7. I’ve been eating well and training hard for years now, and I’ve always been a long-distance runner. I try to look after my body as much as I can, I don’t think health should be taken for granted. Granted, I am a big foodie though, and I have always enjoyed finer dining, so I balance things out with plenty of exercise and a personal wellness regime that I always stick to. It would be fair to say that I’m a work hard/ play hard kind of girl!
I have a nutritionist and a personal trainer, and fortunately, they both know me very well, so I am grateful to have them… I think the professional advice is always extremely beneficial for everyone. Beyond that, sometimes I like to dabble in yoga and rock-climbing… and I love catching a wave on the automatic surf wave attraction I found in Bali. It’s called the “Flo Rider” – check it out!
What is something that you hope to bring out of the Miss Universe Australia pageant?
I think sometimes pageants are misrepresented as shallow and insincere, and I’d like to raise the profile of some really meaningful aspects of the MUA pageant. I think it’s a really great program that supports and empowers women and I’ve definitely benefited personally and professionally from my participation last year as a National finalist. I would strongly recommend participation to every Australian woman!
We will wrap up with a few irrelevant and random questions, now that my coffee has worn off.
Name five things you can’t live without?
Of course, I could live without most materialistic items (hopefully!), but five things I love having are of course:
(1) My family (I am actually extremely family orientated) and friends;
(2) My cute little 1.8kg long-haired chihuahua (Zoé!);
(3) FOOD! … anyone who knows me knows that food is so important to me (obviously we actually need it to survive too 😉 – bonus!);
(4) Music – I can’t really go a day without listening to music, I look forward to my daily run or driving just so that I can hear my favourites tunes, I actually enjoy most genres; and
(5) last but not least, my wings! … I have the travel bug pretty bad, and I know I will continue to travel throughout my life no matter what path I chose to take.
How long does it take you to scroll through Facebook before giving up?
Hmmm! Well, not too long, to be honest! I’d rather connect with people in real time, so in that regard, my attention span can be quite short, haha. I think Instagram is more efficient to use to catch up on my friends’ photos, I’m more of a visual person, and I love physically seeing what people are up to.
How would your closest friend describe you?
Deeply empathetic. She teases me for it. I’ve always felt very connected to people, and I love working in service of people.
When You Dance, You look like?
Beyonce crossed with Britney Spears.
Finally, and this one is important, so please pay attention… What do you think pets dream about?
I think maybe they think about what it would be like to venture off on their own for an indiscernible length of time, only to return to their owners waiting faithfully for them at home! 😉 … I think my dog Zoé would dream about either endless amounts of her favourite food (chicken)…and sometimes I see her running in her sleep too, so maybe she gets to be a big dog chasing after little dogs – who knows!
So not long now until this highly anticipated event that will see 28 of QLD’s most beautiful women compete to secure a spot as a QLD National Finalist, and go on to compete in and represent QLD in the Miss Universe Australia National Final. Get Your Ticket Here
Photography courtesy of Begitta
