BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – PERHAPS the most poised of the sensational six that vied for the 2009/10 National Carnival Queen Pageant was Sudeakka J. Francis.
The now 25-year-old reigning queen and Marketing and Public Relations Officer of the National Caribbean Insurance Company Limited displayed determination and self-confidence leading up to the pageant – attributes that can make one a winner.
On the night of the show, she sealed the deal and took the crown home, not only for herself but also her friends and family, standing out with her extraordinary talent, beauty and intelligence.
Francis captured three of the five judged segments - Swimsuit, Talent and Interview- on the night of December 28, 2009.
It was not her first pageant experience. Francis had represented St. Theresa’s Convent School in the Miss Talented Teen Pageant in which she was the Second Runner-up, capturing the Best Talent and Miss Amity awards. She also won the Miss Plattsburg State Caribbean Queen Pageant while attending that University.
In that pageant, she won five of the six segments - Miss Congeniality, Ambassadorial Speech, Talent, Evening Wear, Interview and Miss Photogenic.
However, everyone knows the National Carnival Queen Pageant is no easy walk-through. Even though a contestant would have gained the judges’ nod, members of the audience would still have their say. But in Francis’ case, when it was announced that she was the winner, it was all cheers of joy and satisfactory and not the regular “They cheat”.
Francis was definitely in it to win and she gave the show her all.
SKNVibes spoke exclusively with Francis about her experience and preparations for the National Carnival Queen Pageant and found out that she considered it to be fun.
She said that preparing for the pageant was no easy task, and for a few months her days began at 5:00 a.m. and ended at 12 midnight.
“I spent hours practicing and perfecting my craft. Balancing work and preparations was challenging at times,” she said. “Many cold mornings I would strut on stage in a two piece bikini just to get a feel of the ambience while wearing next to nothing. However, every minute of my preparation was worthwhile.
“The experience was rather exciting, especially interacting with the other contestants and enhancing my personal and professional skills via the personal development sessions. I invested ample time and energy to each segment to ensure that the end result would be rewarding.”
Many times she was deprived of sleep. Sacrificing leisure time with friends and even avoided eating some of her favorite foods were some of the challenges faced.
“Modifying my diet to achieve physical fitness and a body toned for a two-piece were somewhat difficult. I was not a healthy eater and so avoiding junk food became a challenge. If I had a chance to wake up late every morning, I would. However, such a fantasy is very far from reality. Hence, awaking early at mornings took both mental and physical strength. It is rather difficult to concentrate when fatigue attempts to take over your body. However, I transformed each challenge into a source of motivation,” she said.
And so, with such adversities that come with preparing for pageants, one may wonder how she was able to stay confident and focused.
“My past experiences in the realm of pageantry boosted my self-confidence and self-esteem. I knew that it was crucial that I remain calm. When one becomes flustered and frustrated, one is unable to combat pressure and anxiety. Before each segment, I would breathe deeply. I concentrated solely on the upcoming segment,” said the National Caribbean Insurance Social Club member.
After winning the pageant, she immediately gave thanks to the Almighty for allowing her to have the strength and will-power to triumph and also celebrated with her neighbours.
“Prior to the pageant, I made a promise to my neighbour that if I do win I will celebrate in my alley with all my neighbours. Although not your typical manner to celebrate, I, along with my family and friends, gathered in my alley and we shared our happy thoughts about the moment.
“After a few hours of reliving the pageant with my loved ones, I came home and placed my crown on my 92-year-old great grandmother's head. She was rather delighted as she was unable to attend the pageant. My celebration was not a grand fiesta but it was quite humbling to celebrate as the 2009-2010 National Carnival Queen,” she said.
Her talent performance left many speechless. Many of them commented that it was one of the best talent performances in recent times and it would definitely be written in the annals of local pageantry.
Her talent was a dramatic dance presentation entitled ‘Prayer of the Children’, which took the audience on an emotional journey through a nightmare that reminded everyone that many innocent children have to suffer and fight a war that is not theirs.
“As my nightmare progressed, the dance became more dramatic; expressing such powerful emotions and grasping the attention of everyone present. It was as if I represented every emotion of pain, sorrow, frustration and heartache that all suffering children across the globe endured. Every second a child prays that his or her pain and anguish would be alleviated.”
Now with one of the most important events in her life over, Francis said she has been enjoying her reign and is looking forward to what is to come.
“I am enjoying every moment of being the National Carnival Queen. I was invited to be a guest on the People's Show. Sugar Bowl gave me the grand opportunity to host PEP TV and it was my honour to be a part of the Queen's Baton Relay, and recently I was also a guest on WINN FM's show, The Chat Room,” she said.
A day in Queen Sudeakka's life begins at 6:30 a.m. to prepare for work while in the evenings she works-out and does a bit of socialising.
“Currently, at work, I am developing new concepts for marketing the products and service offered by NCI, and so my creative juices are continually flowing,” she said.
There is no fun if she is not dancing, according to the Vivace Dancer, when asked what she considers fun.
“I enjoy randomly dancing in front of my mirror. Spending time with my family always brings me joy, and tampering with my Wii and Guitar Hero tends to add some fun to a boring day,” she said.
Her best place to vacation is Miami, which she said reminds her of St. Kitts in terms of the houses, palm trees and beaches.
“And not forgetting the St. Kitts Bakery,” she said.
In her bio-data for the National Queen Pageant, Francis stated that she was very concerned about the recent spate of crime in the Federation and strongly believes that building strong parent/child relationships would help alleviate some of the social ills.
She said that ways in which those relationships could be built are quite easy.
“It is inevitable that parents make their children a priority and invest the time and energy in raising them. Parents should exercise their authority and lead by example. Most children learn by mimicking their parents. Thus, a parent's life is a child's guidebook.
“You don't have to be rich to express love towards your child. Simple actions like saying I love you, reading a bedtime story and eating a meal with a child contribute to building strong parent-child bonds. Children's confidence and sense of resilience are boosted when they share a strong bond with their parents. When children are confident in their parent's love, they become confident in themselves,” she said.
Francis is once more pageant mode as she is preparing for the Miss Carival Pageant on July 2 in St. Vincent and the Miss Jaycees Pageant in Antigua on July, 30.
“I am investing just as much time and energy as I did for the National Carnival Queen Pageant. If I am to be successful in my upcoming pageants, it is inevitable that I work extremely hard. Hence, I am determined to put in some very long hours and sacrifice sleep.
“I believe if you work hard at achieving your goal you shall be victorious. I live by the maxim ‘Anything is possible if you believe’, and I do believe that I can be triumphant at both pageants,” said Francis.
She advised that any young lady who aspires to enter the National Carnival Pageant should reap its many rewards.
“Young ladies are given the opportunity of a lifetime to be an ambassador of their Federation. Although preparing for a pageant is indeed hard work, young ladies become agents of change as they promote their platforms. Friendships and fruitful bonds are created as contestants interact. Ladies learn how to manage time and remain calm whilst under tremendous pressure. The life lessons learned and knowledge gained are priceless,” she said.
Francis is desirous of pursuing a Master's degree in Marketing Research in the near future, as well as becoming a professional dancer.
