 At the Auditorio Nacional in Mexico City, the Japanese beauty queen Riyo Mori was crowned Miss Universe 2007 at the age of 20. What started as her grandmother's premonition became a reality for Mori on May 28th, 2007. By the age of 16, she left her home in Shizuoka, Japan to study abroad in Canada, eventually reaching New York at 19. Riyo was able to master adapting to different environments, the importance of learning foreign languages and the need for intercultural understanding through her travels and studies. When her host guardian in Canada was suffering from hearing loss, Riyo learned American Sign Language to communicate. This experience eventually led her to volunteer for Deaf children, working on art activities.
A dancer and performer since the age of four, Riyo has spent most of her life focused on her craft. Riyo studied at the Quinte Ballet School of Canada, the Radio City Rockettes' Summer Intensive and was also accepted to the Broadway Dance Center in New York, but ultimately turned down the offer when she realized that she had made it to the finals of Miss Japan. In an interview she said, "Everything was prepared, I even had an apartment in New York. But having the chance to become Miss Universe was beyond any dream. I had to do it." |
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