At the November 2000 coronation show of Miss World, scheduled for London, the past 50 winners of the title will be special guests of the pageant. And Miss Jamaica World 2000, Ayisha Richards, will be among the group of approximately 100 hopefuls vying to be the 51st Miss World.
But just who is this 5ft. 9in. beauty? Flair spoke with Ayisha and her mother, Anne Richards, at Le Meridien Jamaica Pegasus Hotel on the morning following a win that earned her a standing ovation on coronation night.
Though she is pleased with the overall response from everyone, Ayisha did not only enter the contest to be a symbol to dark complexioned girls. “I entered after giving it a lot of thought and receiving a lot of encouragement from family and friends, I sought information about what being Miss Jamaica World represents and here I am, I don’t feel bothered by the colour thing, the judges cannot be blamed for choosing the best girl to represent the country,” she said.
Radiating the charm that must have impressed the judges, Ayisha explained that at first she gave into the pressure to achieve the “long hair” look and wore a hair piece at some appearances. She had long hair but cut it because of the heat.
“I decided to be myself and went without the hair piece on contest night,” she said.
And how did she feel when the microphone stopped working during the interview? At first she was nervous, with butterflies in my stomach then I remembered all the instructions and realized it was a blessing in disguise,” she said.
Many contestants sound quite rehearsed in the interview segment, but Ayisha spoke so eloquently to the attributes of the person she most admires, Flair wanted to now why. Ayisha is really a fan of national hero Marcus Garvey because her father, Nathan Richards, always discussed his philosophies. “I try to familiarise myself with his work and most of what I learnt about Garvey can from my dad, he’s a pillar of strength in my life,” she said.
Ayisha was not in the ballroom during the coronation show on Saturday night, but he telephoned her three times before she was crowned, and again the morning after.
Family time is important in the Richards’ household; they have meals together and Sundays are special for them. Ayisha has a brother Marcus and sisters Kadija, Carolyn and Nyamenke. All three were born four years apart, in months starting with the letter “J” during a leap year.
Miss Jamaica World 2000 has set her sights on a career in corporate law and it is no accident that she did a first degree in Management, Economics and Accounts, “…in preparation for it, you have to know something about the business to be a good corporate lawyer,” she said.
The Campion College graduate took a year’s break before starting law school in Barbados, where she is the president of the Jamaica Association of Students at Cape Hill (JASAC).
One of the attributes of the new queen is her flawless complexion but there’s no special beauty secret, she insists. She shares with her mother the advantage of never having problems with pimples and acne.
For washing her face the mother uses Oil of Olay soap and Ayisha uses soaps with glycerine, the former also uses fresh aloe vera as a deep cleanser. The family eats home grown fruits, chicken and vegetables.
Of her mother, Ayisha told Flair, “Mommy is a firm disciplinarian, she gives her opinion freely and everything she’s ever said to us is true, we can talk to her and confide in her. If she can’t advise you, she will point you in the right director. She and if we fail, we’ll be amongst the stars.”
At this point, Mrs. Richards interjects, “I tell them that when they step out, they have a responsibility to Jamaica, their family and themselves.” She thinks the twenty-four years she sent at home with them have paid off. Now that they’ve gone to university, she has one to work to help cure the “empty nest” syndrome.
Mrs. Richards is a former tennis player and coach who represented Jamaica at the height of her career. She has past on her competitive streak to Ayisha. I always demanded the best of the children but I warn them that second or third place is fine if they do their best.
Both parents spend time with their children and believe that they have succeeded because father always involved them in everything.
Of Ayisha, she’s very proud and describes her as, “…shy, caring, very kind, success-driven with father’s calm, sedate disposition and my competitiveness and tenacity.
