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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider Luzon devider Iloilo athlete is Miss Universe PH contender

Iloilo athlete is Miss Universe PH contender

Published Feb 3, 2024 06:06 am

Alexie Mae Caimoso Brooks, the athlete and contender for Miss Universe Philippines, continues to be a story of sheer determination.

ALEXIE BROOKS.jpg

BROOKS (FB)

But the 22-year-old Alexie never had an easy life.  She literally never knew her parents, including her Ilongga mother and her Black American father who met in Lebanon when her mother was working as an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW).

After Alexie was born in Manila, an uncle took her to the mountain barangay (village) of Buga in Leon, a town in central Iloilo province. It was her grandmother Lola Basing, her aunts and uncles who raised her.

As a young girl, Alexie was bullied for her skin complexion.  Rocks were even thrown at her.

Despite the traumatic experiences, Alexie soldiered on and never complained.

To help her Lola Basing make ends meet, Alexie would accompany her grandmother to Iloilo City to sell vegetables.

It was more than a decade ago when a coach saw Alexie’s prowess in athletics and that led to a sports scholarship at Iloilo National High School (INHS) in Iloilo City.

From there, Alexie won the high jump competition at Western Visayas Regional Athletic Association (WVRAA) and Palarong Pambansa.

Alexie clinched a sports scholarship at the National University. In 2022, she was named Most Valuable Player (MVP) by the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP).

Alexie later represented the country in the Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam.

It was Alexie’s sideline in modeling that led to her discovery as a contestant for Miss Iloilo, which she won last January.

It was Alexie’s phrase of “abanse babae” that would garner her attention as a woman with brains, brawn, and beauty.
 

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