A Quadring mermaid has been crowned Miss Ocean World 2023 after making waves in India and China.
Laura Hudson (aka Mermaid Twinkle) landed the title in Jaipur this weekend after previously earning the UK title last month.
She picked up the international title and won the ‘Best in Swimsuit’ category.
Laura had previously been a part of the competition remotely, but she said being out in India and treated like royalty was ‘great fun.’
“I am very proud and honoured,” she said. “It was an absolute honour to be there.
“Years of studying other pageants and practicing walking, posing and planning outfits paid off, and there was a buzz about the final as well as a lot of talk and interest about me in India around how I look.”
Before the trip to India the PADI diving instructor had excelled after being invited to the 3rd Mermaid Open Championship in Sanya, China.
Laura, who can hold her breath underwater for more than four minutes, only heard she’d been accepted for the tournament a week before she was due to leave.
She swam for the crowd and judges in a huge tank alongside hammerhead sharks and spotted eagle rays and finished first international female and fourth overall.
“It was hard because it’s not how I would normally perform,” Laura said. “Normally I dive and perform for as long as possible in one breath, but for this more points were scored for more dives during the six minute song.
“I was over the moon my Pirates of the Caribbean routine scored 74.9 putting me in fifth place for the final.
“For the final I had a more graceful routine and the lyrics meant so much having been disconnected from social media, which I found harder than the competition itself.
“I did what I do best when it mattered.
“It was an experience I certainly won’t forget, and it was an honour to be asked to represent my country and to make history.”
