All of the contestants vying for the Miss Universe crown harbor strong beliefs and passions that they plan on sharing with the world should they win the coveted title. Constanza Baez, who is competing as Miss Ecuador, wants to share her passion for health and nutrition.
Constanza Baez, 22, was born Constanza María Báez Jalil in Quito, Ecuador and raised in Guayaquil, Ecuador, according to Miss Universe.com. Her father is Ecuadorian and her mother is half-Lebanese. Her mother competed in Miss Universe Ecuador in 1985, where she came in third, and went on the represent Ecuador in an international pageant.
Baez gained a love for sports and fitness at a young age, as well as a love for nutrition and education. She enjoys cross-fit and playing soccer. Baez currently works as a model, but in addition to modeling, she recently graduated with an economics degree from an elite German university. She speaks German, as well as Spanish and English.
Baez competed as a representative of Pichincha as one of the 15 contestants in Ecuador's national beauty pageant, Miss Ecauador 2013. She won the Best Figure Award at the pageant, as well as the title. She then went on the represent Ecuador in Miss Universe 2013.
She has also participated in many philanthropic ventures. She started a campaign to raise awareness about the importance of blood donation in her native country.
"For me, health and nutrition are very important and I would love to share my passion with others," Baez said. "It is important to me that people understand it is not about your weight, but about how healthy you feel."
Baez is also passionate about animals and wildlife. She has swam with a variety of underwater animals in the Galápagos Islands, such as sharks, sea lions, marine turtles and dolphins. She also co-hosted a television program in Ecuador called "Reto de Valientes" (an Ecuadorian version of Fear Factor), where she ate worms and held snakes.
Baez is competing as a Miss Universe hopeful at the Miss Universe 2013 pageant on Saturday, Nov. 9, in Moscow, Russia.
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