Today we are catching up with Stella Badenoch of New South Wales, one of the 27 talented and inspiring women from all walks of life who are hoping to be crowned Miss Universe Australia 2022.
So Stella, why don’t you tell us a little about yourself?
When I was 11, my Nan was diagnosed with cancer and sadly passed away. My nan was my biggest cheerleader, and I felt the one person who understood me wholeheartedly. This moment in my life shaped who I am today because in hindsight, I couldn’t rely on other people to understand me.
I had to understand myself. This led me on a self-healing journey of discovering who I am, what I love and what I want to do. Seventeen years later, with a lot of lessons learnt and deep self-awareness gained, I am now allowing myself to be every facet of who I am authentically and without judgment. I am sure I will be tested in the years to come, but I know deeply who I am at this moment, and really all we have is this moment.
We all have motivations, mine usually around good coffee, but what was your key motivation for entering Miss Universe Australia?
This is not my first time competing in MUA, and to be honest, I didn’t think I would be back here again, but last year I woke up one morning after a dream, and this dream pushed me to sit with myself and acknowledge how far I have come.
In doing this, I sat with a feeling that I never fully gave this my 100%, and with a new mindset and deeper self-worth, I said I would go in and have fun, enjoy the journey, and see what happens.
To be honest, I am already proud of myself, and I think the 23-year-old me would be too. That is the biggest win of all; I challenged myself and proved to myself I could go all in.
As part of the program, you recently spent time in our hometown of the Gold Coast with the Village Roadshow team; what was the experience like?
Heading to the Gold Coast was such a fun experience, meeting all the girls and getting to know them deeply was one of my favourite highlights. Also, heading to the theme parks, Wet & Wild, Movie World, and SeaWorld was educational as well as a bit of fun for us all to let our hair down.
What would you say was the highlight of your trip?
My highlight was at Wet and Wild where Kym and I went on the Drop Slide, you know, the one where you stand on a trap door, and it opens, and you fall for your life!!!
That was something I didn’t expect to do, but with my Bestie by my side, we tackled it! I honestly felt I faced a fear doing that; I don’t think years ago I would have.
With everyone bringing their own unique and individual flair to the program, what is something that sets you apart from the other contestants?
This is a great question, one I’ll answer quite simply; I believe being me is enough; I am my own uniqueness because no one else can be me. No one else has my energy or my smile, and that is the uniqueness that I bring.
Your next question comes from our current Miss Universe Australia, Daria Varlamova; in your opinion, what are the most essential qualities that a Miss Universe Australia embodies?
I believe Authenticity is the most important quality that a MUA should embody to be strong in who you are and what you are about.
Now travel is back on the cards; where is your favourite place to travel to?
My family and I have a beautiful family tradition; once a year, we do a family holiday to Thailand. It’s a beautiful time for us all to spend some quality time together and lounge around the pool having a cocktail.
What is something people may find interesting about you?
I have a Masters in Neuro Linguistics Programming, and I love to understand the mind deeply so that I can help not only myself grow but also those around me.
Tell us something you’re passionate about and why?
I am extremely passionate about Trauma; interesting, right? I believe no matter how big or small your trauma is, it can be stuck in our unconscious minds and bodies for years without knowing. Doing the inner work and understanding your triggers and traumas allows us to be able to move through them and into a deeper understanding of self and others.
By working with your traumas, you can have more compassion for yourself which then correlates to more compassion for those around you.
