While she may not have participated in the Miss Universe finale, South Africa’s Mia Le Roux remains an inspiration and role model to many, particularly the deaf community.
The South African National Deaf Association has particularly praised the country’s first profoundly deaf Miss SA for her work.
On the eve of the pageant – which takes place in Mexico on Saturday, 16 November, Mia withdrew from the competition, citing “health concerns.” According to industry insiders, the 27-year-old suffered from a severe case of vertigo.
MIA LE ROUX PRAISED BY SA DEAF ASSOCIATION
In an Instagram post, the organisation dedicated a touching message to Mia Le Roux.
It shared: “The South African National Deaf Association, representing more than 4.4 million Deaf People in South Africa, is 💯% behind Mia Le Roux. We love you, Queen, and you’ve done our community proud.”
Mia Le Roux – who was the first profoundly deaf person to compete at Miss Universe – has been vocal about advocating for inclusivity of all communities in society.
In September, the model shared an inspiring message to the youth at the South African Sign Language School Festival.
She shared, “Stop apologising for being different. Stop apologising for being something that society does not expect you to be. Earn trust within yourself and believe in yourself because you are capable of so much.”
She added, “I believe diversity is extremely important and very special, as we all bring something different and unique to the table. And when we all bring something to the table, we are so much stronger, and it really enriches South Africa as well. So, in that respect, I believe diversity is beautiful. It should be celebrated, and it’s so important that we embrace that.”
CHALLENGES AT MISS SA, MISS UNIVERSE
In various viral social media clips, Mia Le Roux hinted at experiencing challenges at the Miss Universe prelims in the run-up to the finale.
She said: “I’m supposed to be following music, which I can’t. When I tried to practise with all the girls, everyone was loud and talking, and I couldn’t follow. It was a lot, and I felt inadequate”.
In another clip, Mia spoke about experiencing “deaf fatigue”, after having to put in extra effort into concentrating on following instructions.
As Miss SA, she also faced certain challenges. However, she was confident that she could overcome them.
She told The Sowetan about her communication style: “I cannot communicate in crowded rooms, as everything becomes one noise.
“One-on-one is better and clear. There is also no need to over-enunciate. Just speak clear; look at me in the face so I can read your lips.”
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