MAYA, Mexico - Filipinos inside the Iberostar Riviera Hotel in Maya, Mexico, are rejoicing as Filipina actress Althea Vega is awarded the Director’s choice during the Miss Swimsuit USA International Model Search 2023 held last Sunday.

Kathy Weathley, owner of the Swimsuit USA International and Elite Productions, gave the Director’s Choice Award. Althea, now an actress based in New York City, was ecstatic when I interviewed her over the phone, “This experience has impacted me and helped me improve myself. I am very grateful that I won a major award. I knew that this competition was going to be very challenging. Being one of the 49 ladies selected to participate in the World Finals of Miss Swimsuit USA International and representing my home, Metro Manila, is a tremendous honor and a great experience I will treasure for the rest of my life. Most significantly, I gained new friends and connections. I would also like to congratulate Keslyn Hart of Florida for bagging the title Miss Swimsuit USA International 2023."

Just like our Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach, it was Keslyn's third time to join the competition and get the most coveted title. After this competition, I asked our dear Althea what’s next: "I am looking forward to making movies back in the U.S. I am based in New York City, which allows me to work anywhere within the United States. Our short indie film, 'Dark Military,' was just released on YouTube. I look forward to shooting another independent film in Texas at the end of this year. Also, some projects were presented by film directors I recently met here at Miss Swimsuit USA, so I look forward to that. I have a long way to go, so the best thing I can do for now is to be happy, grateful, and satisfied with my journey. While waiting for projects, I will continue to be a personal trainer in New York."

I asked Althea's advice for those who want to pursue a career as a model and actress, “First of all, accept and love your body.  There were many times when I didn't feel confident with my body, especially when my colleagues in the film industry would say, 'You look heavier on the screen.' I experienced a lot of rejections for many roles that I was auditioning for before because of my weight, which does not fit the film industry standard. It is even harder to get cast when they find you a 'little overweight.'

"The film industry standard of normal weight is different because, as you know, a person gains an additional 20 pounds on screen. After all, a camera has a different way of capturing people than the human eye. I love eating and pretty much anything. I usually stick with my low-carb-high-protein diet. But once in a while, I can’t help but binge, and it is a constant discipline to maintain my food intake, which is my biggest challenge in maintaining my fitness level.

"Even though my weight seems normal, unfortunately, I constantly struggle with my up-and-down weight regarding the so-called ‘film standard.' Eventually, I realized that the so-called ‘perfection’ is counterproductive, and it just added to my stress, which in turn is mentally unhealthy.

"My experiences have taught me to always give my best regarding the health habits and actions I can do, to be comfortable in my skin, and to keep improving. I hope people will realize that perfection is never possible…because we can never see the greatest part of our being because it is nonphysical. It goes deep down within and is not seen in our physical appearances, it is something we feel within us.”