Halima Aden wants to become the first representative from Somalia in the Miss Universe pageant.
The 23-year-old model Halima Aden plans to take the crown at the annual international beauty pageant after accomplishing a number of firsts in her career, including becoming the first ever hijab-wearing model to compete for Miss Minnesota and the first-ever person to wear a hijab and burkini on the cover of Sports Illustrated.
She said: “All those other ‘FIRSTs’ have prepared me for my true calling. I will be the First Miss Somalia on the stage of Miss Universe. Fellow contestants, get ready because I AM COMING.”
Halima previously revealed that her accomplishments have not been easy as she knew people would initially fear the unknown.
However, she is proud of what she has achieved as she is able to path the way for many more people to follow in her footsteps.
She explained: “Being the first isn’t easy. People innately fear the unknown so even if you do take that step to be the first, some will never understand or agree with you. To me, I knew being the first would mean nothing if there wasn’t a second, a third, a fourth.
“I am so proud that in just the short three-and-a-half years of my modelling career, there are several hijab-wearing models and it’s not uncommon to see these women walking the runway or covering magazines. That makes my journey worth it to me.
“Being a role model is important to me, not just to the young girls in my Muslim or Somali communities, but to those who can relate to any part to my story.
“I feel very fortunate to be in this position and while it comes with an enormous amount of responsibility, at the end of the day, the best I can do is to just do me and be myself.”