SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO (TIP): Indian American Shree Saini was crowned the first runner-up at the Miss World 2021 beauty pageant held in San Juan, Puerto Rico on Thursday, March 17. The coveted Miss World title was won by Karolina Bielawsk. The Indian-American, who represented the United States, has shared a heartfelt note on overcoming facial burns and heart defect. She said that her triumph could encourage and inspire people to defeat their daily challenges. Shree Saini, 26,  added that she was representing not just herself but also “333 million Americans, billions of Indian immigrants” at the global event. Hailing from Ludhiana in Punjab, her family moved to the US when she was just 5 years old. By 12, she had a permanent pacemaker implanted after she was diagnosed with a rare heart condition. She also had a serious accident that left her with facial burns, but Ms Saini did not allow these troubles to hold her back from realizing her potential.

“I hope my story of overcoming facial burns and heart defect, can encourage people to overcome their daily challenges,” she said in an Instagram post, just before the grand finale of the Miss World pageant.