OBSERVER Entertainment – Friday, October 11th, 2013.
Antigua & Barbuda’s representative Althea Richardson-Walter
Daughter of the soil Althea Richardson-Walter will be representing Antigua & Barbuda at the upcoming Miss Caribbean Tourism Queen Pageant.
Come Saturday, October 19, Richardson-Walter will be competing with eight other delegates in five segments. The pageant takes place at Carnival Village, St Kitts.
The contestants – hailing from Anguilla, the Dominican Republic, Guyana, Jamaica, Nevis, St Kitts, St Lucia and Trinidad & Tobago – will put their best feet forward in talent, ambassadorial wear, swimwear, interview, and evening wear.
Richardson-Walter said she’s anxious about the upcoming experience.
“I’m feeling excited,” she told OBSERVER Entertainment. “I’m ready to get it over and done with.”
She added that preparations have been intense, and include regular trips to the gym with trainer Tony Jacobs and rigorous rehearsals with coach Brian Josiah-Gardner for the talent and evening wear segments. On the night of the show, she plans to showcase her acting skills in the talent segment. And her ambassadorial wear, she noted is a madras piece entitled “Antigua Nice”.
Sponsors for her participation are Solid International, Hadeed Motors, Areopost, LIAT 1974 Ltd and Ministry of Tourism.
Althea Richardson-Walter has a bachelor of science degree in behavioural science, with an emphasis in psychology from the University of the Southern Caribbean, Trinidad & Tobago. The Antigua Girls’ High School alumnus is presently a visual arts teacher and is working on her master’s degree in education.
Richardson-Walter is also one of Antigua & Barbuda’s upcoming make up artists and has been working closely with Solid International Mas’ Troupe.
The former model of Insomnia Model Management copped the agency’s title of Miss bMobile 2008. As well, she’s been part of the organising team for past Independence fashion shows.
Miss Caribbean Tourism Queen Pageant, now in its second year, was conceptualized as a prestigious regional annual event, to bring together representatives of a wide range of communities and cultures from all over the Caribbean.
The pageant’s principal objective is to identify and showcase the islands’ best tourism ambassadors; those who have the skills, talents and personalities best suited to promote their respective countries in furtherance of tourism, international goodwill and cultural harmony.
Last year, Shenique Barry was Antigua & Barbuda’s representative and was placed 4th in the finals.