Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters

My hair is an important part of who I am and if my hair is healthy and looks great, I feel confident. ”

My half-sister was born without a cerebellum and is completely disabled. She is my biggest motivator and inspiration, because her situation makes me realize how special life is, and I always want to work twice as hard, enjoy life twice as much so that I can enjoy it for her as well. ”

When you are yourself, there is no wrong and there is no right, because being authentic and true to who you are and owning it is all anyone could ever ask of you. ”

I think living in the U.S. it has given me an outsider's perspective on South Africa, and something that makes South Africans shine is our warm heartedness, and how we welcome and accept everyone, we are truly a nation of community, who embraces diversity. ”

You can be beautiful and you can be smart and you can make a meaningful difference in your community, in your country, in your world. ”

It takes one brave woman to implement change and for other women to be able to follow that. ”

Every person has a choice in every situation and I decided not to be a victim of crime and to not allow myself to be crippled with fear. This is why I started Unbreakable. I wanted to teach women the self-defence skills I learnt during a course I participated in. ”

I started a campaign in South Africa called Unbreakable where I empower women all over my country with skills and knowledge how to handle difficult situations, and I really hope to use the Miss Universe platform to elevate that cause. ”

When you enjoy the moment you're in, it shows in your actions, it shows in your words, in your expressions and in your eyes. ”

I rarely had the opportunity to work as a full time model or to pursue a professional career in modelling, because school was always my priority. ”