Pauline Amelinckx calls to end hate against Miss Supranational winner: 'No one deserves to go through that'
Miss Supranational 2023 first runner-up Pauline Amelinckx took to social media to share the values she learned from her parents, reminding people to be kind to others, including the new Miss Supranational winner, Andrea Aguilera of Ecuador.
In the photo taken during her grand homecoming parade in Bohol, Pauline is seen wearing her crown and a sash alongside her parents.
"Victory is sweeter when I get to share it with them," Pauline wrote. "Papa taught me discipline and dedication to one’s self. Mama taught me kindness. And it's about kindness that I wanna talk about now."
She continued to talk about her experience at the coronation night of Miss Supranational held in Poland last July 14, saying that each delegate pours their hearts out "to be the best representation of the country and its people we bring forth." She added that she saw Andrea's dedication and passion to be the best for Ecuador.
"This journey has taught me that even when we didn't achieve what we set our minds to, we could have still achieved so many other things, things we didn't expect or prayed for but which still hold so much meaning and value if we allow ourselves to see that," the Belgian-Filipino beauty queen said, reiterating that she has found "pride and peace" in her recent feat as Top 2.
"Recently I heard about all the hate that Andrea has received. I know very well how it feels like to receive PMs or even emails with hurtful messages. But no one deserves to go through that," Pauline said.
The 27-year-old beauty queen reminded her followers to choose kindness over hate.
"That's why I want to speak up about this. I will never tell you how to act or how to feel, but I can only hope that we always chose to be kind and not add to the hate already present in our world. To make life even more beautiful is up to us. I still believe that pageantry is a platform that brings people together, and its by uniting that we can make the greatest change," she added.
Pauline ended her post with "I’m sending love, smiles and warm hugs."
Following the results of the 2023 edition of Miss Supranational, many of Pauline's fans were disappointed that she did not win the title.
In response, Pauline told the media during her arrival to the country last July 26 that she hopes her fans "find peace" with the results and "find pride" in the journey.
“I can only hope that you do find peace with it and find pride in this journey that we collectively share together,” she said. "I do want you to know that I myself, I’m happy. And I am so, so proud of how far we were able to make it."