Pernille Sørensen was crowned Miss World Denmark 2014 in Copenhagen on October 4, 2014. She will represent Denmark in the upcoming 2014 Miss World pageant to be held in London, England on December 14, 2014. Critical Beauty would like to thank Pernille and her national director, Lisa Lents, for granting us this interview and wishes her the best of luck at Miss World!
Who is the real Pernille Sørensen?
The real Pernille Sørensen is a young woman living in a city called Aalborgwhich is thefourth largest city inDenmark. Her closest family contains her wonderful parents and her beautiful little sister, Kristina, with whom she has a very close relationship.
Pernille has a Bachelor’s Degree in nursing, and at the moment, she is studying at Aalborg University, where she is getting her Master of Science in Public Health.
Pernille lives an active lifestyle and it is very important to her to work out regularly and eat healthy. She is very passionate about health, and she finds it very interesting to see health and well-being in many different contexts and from different perspectives.
When time allows it she loves to express herself creatively through drawing, painting and photography. Furthermore she has a passion for beauty and loves experimenting with makeup, as well as reading about the latest beauty products.
To travel is also one of Pernille’s great passions. She thinks it is so inspiring to experience new places and she is very open-minded in the meeting with new people and different cultures.
How would your friends describe you?
I have asked my friends and family about this question, and they all described me as a caring and emphatic young woman, with a very calmtemperamentandwith a sympatheticand accommodatingway tomeet new people. My dear father described me as a very loving and caring big sister, as I have always taken good care of my little sister. He also described me as a very patient person, which has also been confirmed by former nurse colleagues. Some of my friends think that I often tend tobea little toostructured anda bit of acontrol freak.
Define happiness. What makes you happy?
I am happy when I conquer the challenges I give myself in life. With every challenge – big or small – I am developing as a person, and that makes me very pleased and strong.
I am also veryhappy when Icanmakemy closest ones happy. I am easilyinfluenced byothers' moodsandtherefore it is importantto metohelpspreadgood energy andgive peoplea smilealong the way. I am in general verygenerouswith complimentsand I amgood at tellingothers whenthey do agood job.
What is the biggest problem that your country, Denmark, is facing right now and what do you propose to resolve it?
Denmark is characterized by its social balance and universal welfare services, such as free healthcare and free education, and the Danes have been named the happiest people in the world in several studies. But if I should name a problem in our country I have been a part of and have seen on a daily basis, it would have to be, that our healthcare system often can be insufficient in terms of lack of resources, lack of space and not enough hands to give the best quality of healthcare possible. As a nurse I have felt the frustration of not feeling like you can do your best because of this. SometimesI wonder aboutsome ofthe thingswe spend money on, whilewe saveinhealth care andthe elderly.
What would constitute a "perfect" evening for you?
I love meeting up with old and new friends and just talk about everything - great and small. Combining this with a delicious food and maybe watching a movie in the theater afterwards, this may be the perfect evening for me.
If you could change one thing in the world, what would you change and why?
I wish that there were nofaminein the world. No one, young or old, shouldstarve,and it breaks my heart knowing that in 2014there are about 24.000 peopledying every day ofstarvation - especially whenthere are countries that have abundance of food andwhere obesity is one of the main problems.
How do you respond to a homeless person on the street asking you for money?
When a homeless person approaches me on the street, I instinctively tend to give him/her a little money. But sometimes I afterwards think about, if the person maybe would use the money tofinancean abuse of some kind, and I would actually rather have bought him/her some food in the first place or asked about the person's situation to get to know what he/she truly needs.
What is your idea of fun? How do you enjoy yourself to have fun?
I really enjoy trying new things in form of physical activities, such as ice skating, rock climbing, scuba diving, canoeing, skiing and dancing. I love using my body in different ways and challenging myself – and if these activities are combined with a lot of friends around me, this is my idea of fun.
If you could go back in time to any time period, which one would you choose & why?
I would go back to my teenage years and tell myself not to worry about things I still could not change. I have spent too many years thinking about what other people would think of me and not just enjoying life as a young girl.
What is your opinion on cosmetic surgery? Would you consider submitting to it some day?
I have absolutely nothing againstplastic surgeryas long asyou do itfor your own sake - however, I havenevermyselfhadanykind ofplastic surgery.If there is somethingabout your appearance that really upsets you andperhaps is diminishing your quality of life, I think it is alright. In returnI thinkthat youshouldsay no toplastic surgeryif you feelpressured intoitbyyour surroundings, bygirlfriends, by boyfriends or by family.
At the moment I do not see myself having any cosmetic surgery in the future, but I am not dismissive about it.
Who is the woman you admire most and why?
It would be Beyoncé,because shefor meis the ultimatedefinitionofgirl powerandindependence. In addition to beinga greatmusicianandsinger, sheinspiresmeby being sodown-to-earth despite of herfame.She also gives a lot to charity and I thinksheis a greatrole model formanyyoung girls.
If women were to rule the world by 2050, how different would the world be?
I do not think that good leadership is a matter of gender. There have been female political leaders throughout history and like their male counterparts, some may have been good leaders, others may not. Some may say that women possess an inborn trait to be more caring or righteous, but I think that both men and women possess these qualities, and it is more a matter of personality than a matter of gender.
What is the most adventurous thing you have ever done, and what did you learn?
The most adventurous thing I have ever done was completing a diving certificate during a trip to Thailand and Malaysia. By doing this I had to exceed some personal boundaries, because I have been quite hydrophobic during my entire childhood. I learned that I had to try some new things in my life, even though it scared me at first. It is so important for me to evolve as a person throughout my whole life, and I can only evolve if I dare to challenge myself.
If you were to come back as an animal in the next life, what would you be and why?
I think I would come back as a dog. Like dogs, I am loyal and devoted and Ilike tobein the company ofpeople whomean something tome.I'm not thatgood at beingalone fortoo longand I enjoy long walks with a good friend.
Do you think social networks, such as Facebook and Twitter, have a positive or negative influence on teens?
It depends. It is upsetting to see young girls being affected by the social media in connection with getting a wrong image of what is a normal appearance. As a nurse student I have worked with girls with eating disorders and low self-esteem, and these girls' understanding of health and striving for perfection is so heartbreaking. In their teenage years the teens are actively seeking to find an identity, and it is sad if they believe that they have to be thin to exemplify beauty and success.
On the other hand I think that the social media is a great way of spreading inspiring posts and stimulate young teens to build up their self-esteem and be kind and helpful human beings.
Exposure to information and news about events occurring around the world can also develop cultural and political awareness and it challenges the teens toreflect on different causes.
If you were on a TV talk show and could get one message across to the viewers, what subject would it be on?
There is not muchin this worldthat Ioutrighthate, but itreally bothers me whenpeople smoke cigarettes. Smoking isthe cause ofthe highest number oflifestyle-related deaths inDenmarkand I wishthat people stop smoking. So ifI could getmore people toquit smoking, I wouldfeel like I had madea great difference bothfor thesmokers themselves, their surroundingsand the health care system.
If you could spend the day with anyone (living or deceased), who would it be and what would you do with that person?
I would spend one last day with my dear aunt who passed away last year due to cancer. I would take her to see her family, parents, husband and children. Our whole family was heartbroken when we lost such a loving and caring soul, and she was a great inspiration to me.
If you were judging a pageant, what would be the most important quality that you’d look for in the winner?
Allwho take the timeto be friendlyand help other people isbeautiful inmy opinion, and these are very important qualities to me. Additionally thereis nothing moremesmerizingthana sincereand joyfulsmile.
Do you think the world will be a better or a worse place 100 years from now?
It is very hard to say, and the situation in the world is always changing in different directions. For example I think that we will find a cure for cancer and find new vaccines, but I think that in the future there will just be another new life-threatening disease or epidemic that we cannot control.
I hope that we in the future willbe moreenvironmentally consciousthrough green energy for example, so we can reduce carbon emissions that contribute to global warming. So many beautifulplaces in the worldwill not existin just50 yearsifwe continue tomistreatour earthas we do now.
I also hopethat we in the futurewill be able toreduce or eliminatefamine andextreme poverty in the world.
Why do you want to become Miss World 2014?
As a nurse, it is very natural for me to want to help and make a difference forpeople,and I hopethat I, through the competition,can bring focus to concernsthat are close to my heart. I am amazed how huge a difference the MissWorldOrganizationthrough the yearshas done fordisadvantaged andill childrenaroundthe world.Iwould be soproud tobe a partofthis endeavor!
It will also bea great honor formeto be arole model to others and it willmean a lot tomeif I couldinspire others tomake a difference forpeople in needofhelp.
I am ayoung woman whois alwayslooking for new waysto challengemyself, as I believethat it isimportant toconstantly evolveas a person, and by doing this, I hope I can inspire others to follow their dreams and always seize the opportunities they get in life!
Pernille's Favorites:
Music: Pop and R&B
Musical Artist/Entertainer: Beyoncé
Movies: Avatar and Inception
Actor: Channing Tatum and Mads Mikkelsen
Actress: Zoë Saldaña and Jennifer Aniston
Book: The Harry Potter Series
Flower: Orchids
Perfume: Amor Amor by Cacharel
Color: Silver
Fruit: Avocado and watermelon
Vegetable: Tomato
Proverb: “Kindness makes you the most beautiful person in the world. No matter what you look like”
