I am very excited to release this edition of Beauty Corner because it is featuring my good friend and the reigning Mrs. National Universe Czech Republic 2022, Lenka Vomočil. Originally hailing from the European continent, now residing in the tropical paradise of Thailand, this world adventurer has a heart of gold – advocating for several causes close to her heart and helping her friends whenever needed – and voices her opinions loud and clear to make positive changes in the world. With that being said, enjoy this edition of Beauty Corner.

Q: Congratulations on becoming Mrs. National Universe Czech Republic 2022! What was going through your head when you were asked to participate in the Mrs. National Universe pageant?

Q: You have an extensive history in the pageant and fashion industry. Would you mind sharing with us some of your proudest accomplishments?

A: Well, it’s hard to say. I competed (in pageants) when I was younger, but back then we didn’t have a great organization in the Czech Republic that would be able to prepare girls for the international level like the girls in Latin America. We stood no chance with zero training and no good styling, such as not having access to stunning pageant gowns. So, when the organizers asked me to join, I said no, and I chose to go to Paris and model. Today there is a new organization – “Miss Czech Republic” – with Taťána Makarenko as the national director. I wish I was younger so I could join her contest. She is amazing and prepares the girls, with her super talented creative director Sam Dolce, so well and it shows as Czech girls are placing higher and higher every year. I have a feeling one will bring the main crown to the Czech Republic this year. You know who.
I have never been a supermodel, but I believe I did quite well in my career as a model. I shot over 100 commercials and walked in fashion weeks in Milan, Paris, Singapore, Bangkok, Hong Kong, and New York for designers like Jean Paul Gaultier, Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Kenzo, Michael Costello, etc.
My favorite experience was shooting the TV show Project Runway with Heidi Klum. That’s where I actually met Michael Costello and we became friends for life. I am so happy he is such a successful designer now. He deserves it. Lastly, I am really honored to shoot a movie called No Dorai in Bangladesh, which won all awards there. It was such a great and unusual experience.

Q: You recently began working with Natalie Glebova, Miss Universe 2005. Can you tell us a little more about this? How will the knowledge you gain while working with Natalie alter the course of your preparation for Mrs. National Universe?

A: Well, it’s a funny story. I have known her husband, who is like a brother to me, for over 15 years. We were in the same agency in Bangkok: Red Models. Then, with my friend having a spare ticket, I got the opportunity to watch the Miss Universe 2005 pageant, including the crowning of Natalie, live. Natalie was really spectacular! Of course, all women at MU level are stunning, but she came so prepared and studied all about Thai culture and always made sure to be kind to everyone. She won everyone’s hearts. Until today she is my favorite MU winner.
I began working for her team, but I also take her master classes every week and I have to say it’s worth every penny. She really teaches the girls winning techniques. I have learned so much, but I can’t tell you. It’s a secret. You have to buy her classes to see for yourself. I guarantee you that even if you don’t win your contest, it will leave you as a stronger, more resilient, and confident woman in your future endeavors.

Q: While Natalie has helped you in your pageant journey, you also have helped others in their pageant journeys, such as Mariana Bečková, Miss Grand Czech Republic 2022. Do you plan on helping more pageant contestants achieve their pageant dreams? If so, are you one day going to start your own pageant prep business?

Right now I am helping my fellow contestant at Mrs. National Universe with her catwalk as she is my friend and we have to support each other.
I am not sure if I want to have my own business, but I am happy to be part of Natalie’s team. At the same time, I am more than open to help another girl who would have the same qualities, heart, and soul as Mariana. I want to help the real genuine girls with the right intentions who really want to use the title for a good cause.

Q: Throughout your life you have moved from your home country of the Czech Republic to the United States and now to Thailand, which is where you reside. What made you want to move away from your home country and explore the world?

A: In my family, there is an old story that we have Indian gypsy blood in our veins. Ever since I was a kid, I knew that as much as I love the Czech Republic, it’s too small for me. I always dreamt about traveling, exploring the world and other cultures, and meeting people from different nations and religions. I think traveling is better than any school. You learn so much when you explore the beauty of the world. Now I am settled in Thailand because it’s just a special place. You won’t find nicer and kinder people anywhere else in the world. The islands and beaches are so beautiful; it’s like a fantasy world. In addition, there are beautiful temples everywhere; it’s breathtaking. I love Thailand with all my heart.

Q: In your list of accomplished adventures, spending time in a Buddhist temple was one of them. Tell us about this experience, including why you wanted to do it?

A: Hmmmm… so now I am going to reveal a big dark secret about myself: I used to have issues with alcohol abuse. I found this temple, Wat Thambkrabok, that accepts addicts of all kinds for free treatment. It’s really rough. You wake up at 4:30am, work, clean, chant, there is a puking medicine ceremony, steaming, and much more. In the beginning, you take a sacred Buddhist promise called “sajja” where you promise the Universe that you won’t touch the substance you have a problem with anymore. If you break the promise, it brings you bad luck. I think believing in it, or the puking ceremony, really changed something in my brain. Now, I am not tempted anymore; it’s really gross to me.

I made friends with a great foreign monk, Pra Jeremy and Ajarn Tong, who always say that I am invited to come anytime I want. Therefore, when I feel overloaded, I go back for a week to meditate and study dhamma. I don’t have a strict regime anymore. I come as a friend. It’s almost like a second home. It’s my happy place. Pra Jeremy is so wise and always teaches me so much about myself and how to deal with the world. Now, I am helping others with addictions, as it is such a taboo subject, especially when it comes to women. Thus, I share my story with others, so anyone who reads this and struggles with the same problem doesn’t have to be afraid to reach out to me and ask for help. I won’t judge you, and I will do everything in my power to help you overcome it. I have been sober for 3 years and I have never been happier.

Q: You are a leukemia survivor, and have advocated for and helped others with cancer in New York City. What organizations have you worked for? What were your duties? Do you have any/want to create any organizations in Thailand around fighting cancer?

A: Yes, I am a leukemia survivor. It was the worst year of my life. Six rounds of chemo, which makes you so sick and causes you so much pain, but I am lucky because I survived; I am still here and that’s all that matters. In New York, I worked with “F..k Cancer” which focuses on people who get cancer between the ages of 20 and 30 years-old. Usually, charities for cancer patients are directed towards kids and older people, while nobody really cares about young people in their prime time who have to face possible death instead of enjoying their best years. This is where “F..k Cancer” stepped in and aided those who were being overlooked.

I also worked with “Fashion Fights Cancer” which raised money to make fun programs for people who were undergoing treatment, so they could make said individuals laugh and help them forget about the struggles they were facing for a little bit. I would like to mention the amazing photographer Chayo Mata who shot us, all survivors, for the exhibitions to raise money. She was a kind and wonderful woman with a golden heart. Sadly, her brain cancer came back, and she passed, but her legacy will live on. I will always carry her in my heart.
In Thailand, it’s hard to start a nonprofit. I don’t speak the language fluently, and as a foreigner I don’t think I can start my own nonprofit, but I am here for anyone currently suffering from cancer. You can message me and ask me anything. I am here for you. Like I was for many others through social media in the past.

Q: I heard that your friend has a safe house for handicapped and homeless dogs in Hua Hin, Thailand, and how it is about to be shut down due to the lack of sponsors. How can people – domestic and abroad – help keep the safe house for these dogs up and running?

A: Yes, her name is Brigette. She has a safe house, Hin Lek Fai Rescue, where she mostly takes care of disabled dogs, such as dogs without legs or dogs who have serious illnesses. She teaches to earn money, then goes straight to the safe house to take care of the pups, and after that she buys bags of food and feeds soi (“soi” means street) dogs all around Hua Hin. She had a sponsor who paid for the house, but due to COVID she lost the sponsor, and now they are facing being thrown in the street, which would mean certain death for the disabled dogs. This plays a big part in my reasoning for why I decided to join the contest–to increase awareness about this problem and to find a more permanent solution for the safe house.

Q: Are there any other causes that you are passionate about and actively engaging in?

A: Living in New York and witnessing the police brutality, senseless incarceration of black people for petty crimes, and the killings of innocent people of color for no reason and the police getting away with, which made me really mad, is why I am a big supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement and police reform in the USA. More training and psychological evaluation is needed for officers. These officers need to face the same trial as anyone else when murdering innocent people. I hope with George Floyd’s case and the rightful punishment of Derek Chauvin and the other officers, things will start changing, and human life will be more respected. For those in Europe or another continent who don’t understand, watch the “13^th” or the “Fruitvale Station” movie to understand what is really happening in the USA.
I also fight for women’s equality, but the cause closest to my heart revolves around animals. These silent souls are treated so badly. This is why I am vegan and why I try to help all of the silent souls in need. Animals are pure. Not like us humans.

Q: With Roe v. Wade being overturned by the Supreme Court, state governments have now had control over abortion rights within their state lines. With that being said, an Ohio 10-year-old girl was raped and became pregnant. It is illegal to get an abortion in Ohio after six weeks, she missed the six-week mark by three days, so she had to travel with her family across state lines to Indiana in order to get the procedure. However, after this occurrence, the Indiana state government is now heavily reconsidering their laws about allowing abortions due to not agreeing with the 10-year-old’s decision. Do you believe the 10-year-old girl made the right decision or do you believe she should have carried the pregnancy to term? Explain your answer.

A: It’s not just about this horrific case of this poor 10-year-old who got raped and had to travel to get an abortion. IT’S ABOUT TAKING AWAY BASIC WOMEN’S RIGHTS in the “LAND OF THE FREE.” How absurd is that? It’s not freedom. NOBODY should have a right to decide what we women can and cannot do. It’s funny how people were demonstrating against mandates and screaming “My body. My right.” Yet the same people are the ones who would force women to carry a child against her wishes. Let me make something very clear, this doesn’t make me pro-abortion. I cannot have children after undergoing chemo and I would give anything to have one, so part of me feels sad when a woman gives up such a wonderful opportunity. But I should not have the right to make a decision about someone else’s body and life.
In cases where we know that the embryo has a defect and would be born very sick, why force women to carry a child who will probably die soon after? In cases of women whose health is at risk due to pregnancy, how can you force a woman to risk her life? YOU WANT TO PROHIBIT ABORTION? HOW ABOUT WE MAKE MANDATORY VASECTOMIES, so we don’t even have to worry about abortion? As we know, most of those who overturned Roe v. Wade were males. How would they like that? You can’t call America the “Land of the Free” if you strip a certain part of the population of their basic human rights. How funny is it that these people care about a small cell, but when it’s actually a real small human being, they put them in cages like animals? Hypocrisy at its finest.

Q: Unfortunately, the war between Russia and Ukraine is still ongoing. Thousands of lives are being lost, people are being displaced from their homes, and lives are forever changing. How do you think this situation will affect the lives of the youth and the world they create?

A: People in Ukraine, just like us, thought that war was something they learned from history books or saw in movies. One day, 43 million Ukrainians woke up to the reality where they lost their homes, their loved ones or their lives. Vladimir Putin is the embodiment of evil. I was born in a country that was also occupied by Russians and our rights were taken away. But my little country was brave enough to stand up and go in the streets during the Velvet Revolution in 1989, and we kicked them out. This is why I was able to grow up as a free woman. I am so damn grateful to my parents’ generation for their bravery. I am especially grateful for our first post-revolution president, Václav Havel, who fought the Russians for years and was imprisoned and tortured. However, he didn’t give up and he led us to a very bright new FREE future. He reminds me of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who I admire for his bravery. When President Zelensky was offered a safe ride out of the country, he refused and said, “The fight is here. I need ammunition. Not a ride.” He stayed to fight with his people. That’s a leader. But please do not forget, this is not the only country where there is war and conflict. Don’t overlook the suffering of people in Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Yemen, Libya, Mali, Myanmar, and Syria who face civil wars. In addition, countries like Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Iraq, Congo, Mozambique, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Tunisia are facing terrorist insurgencies.
I can only hope that today’s youth will realize that this can happen to them, too. I hope they won’t close their eyes when these horrible things happen and that they will try to help and learn from it, so history won’t repeat itself.
I also want to urge people to NOT discriminate against Russian citizens around the world. Most of them escaped Russia because they too did not and do not agree with their dictator president. They are not responsible for his actions. Be kind.

Q: Technology is ever evolving, so much so that if you have a device with you, like a cell phone, your location can easily be found. Such tracking capabilities are often activated on the devices of teens by their parents/guardians. Do you think such tracking is an invasion of privacy? Why or why not?

A: Of course it’s an invasion of privacy. I understand that parents are afraid of the lives of their children. There is danger around every corner, and there is nothing worse than losing a child. However, we grew up without it and we were fine. Kids need to learn life lessons. Sometimes you have to make mistakes and fall on your face to learn to not repeat the same mistakes. I am not a parent, so it’s hard to judge, but every human being should have a right to privacy.

Q: With the death of Shinzo Abe, former prime minister of Japan, occurring at the hands of a man with a homemade gun, would stricter gun laws actually decrease the gun-related crimes and deaths given people’s ability to make homemade guns with the aid of the internet? Why or why not?

A: First of all, I was very saddened by the loss of the life of Mr. Shinzo Abe. May he rest in peace. I am a strong believer in laws against gun possession. I am ashamed of America for their ridiculous gun laws where any low life can buy a gun behind the counter of Walmart with the excuse, “I gotta protect myself and my family.” American gun owners possess 393.3 million weapons, which is higher than the country’s population of about 330 million. The government is supporting gun factories. They want you to be scared and keep on buying guns, but guns have only one purpose: TO KILL. I am a Buddhist, so believe me, I will never own a gun. Be a real man/woman and learn Muay Thai or any martial art as well as get a taser or pepper spray to protect yourself, but a gun?
Tell me why all these mass shootings happen in the USA: Las Vegas, NV, 2017 – 58 dead and 867 injured; Orlando, FL, 2016 – 49 dead and 58 injured; Blacksburg, VA, 2007 – 32 dead and 23 injured; and Newtown (Sandy Hook Elementary), CT, 2012 – 27 dead and 2 injured. The list of mass shootings goes on and on. Why is this not happening in Europe or elsewhere? Because we have stricter gun laws. You need to undergo schooling if you are applying for a driver’s license, and a psychological evaluation to be registered. We also regulate our borders harder to make it impossible to smuggle guns in.
When it comes to homemade guns made with the help of the internet, each government should put together a cyber police group to track these pages and their followers and shut them down ASAP.

*TRIGGER WARNING*

Q: Wanting to share your sexual assault story is a brave and courageous thing to do. Therefore, I give you the floor to share your story and how this has affected your life. In addition, what advice would you give to others if they ever end up in or have gone through a similar situation?

A: You know, for a long time I was afraid to speak about it as I felt like people wouldn’t believe me as the person who raped me is famous, known for his Yoga and meditation devotions and as the “saint” hip hop mogul, and I was the no named model who liked to party. Therefore, who would they believe? He was pursuing me for a while, sending gifts and flowers every day. But there was a big age gap between us, and I never cared for fame or money. He invited me to a charity event supporting kids he coordinated, and that’s when I started to like him because I believed that he was truly a kind person for helping so many people. So, we started dating. But shortly after I found out that I wasn’t the only one, I, in a respectful and friendly manner, ended things. One night at a club, someone stole my bag with my phone, money, and keys. He was around, so he offered that I could sleep in his guest bedroom and figure out things in the morning. And that’s when it happened. I didn’t provoke it. He just forced himself on me and raped me while I screamed “NO” multiple times. He would follow me after to convince me to not talk about it and I was so scared, which is one of the reasons I left NY. Thank God 13 other women have come forward since then. I was hoping that he would go to prison, but of course, money can get you out of everything. But I was glad that at least his reputation was ruined and he fled to Bali to hide. I decided to speak about it now because finally I feel strong enough, but mainly because he is back socializing in NY and the Hamptons like nothing happened. And that is so WRONG!
To the other victims of rape: “Please be braver than me. Go and report it. Help other women by stopping these predators, so they cannot do it to anyone else. I was a coward and I regret it. Even now I am shaking writing about it, but it’s time to tell the truth. We need to stop sexual abuse and protect our women!

Q: I know your father recently passed away. To remember the good times, what were some of your favorite memories with your father? What do you think he would say to you about everything currently going on in your life if he was here right now?

A: Well, instead of talking about my favorite memories, I would rather tell you what an incredible human he was. He raised me well. He always taught me to never lie, steal, or hurt anyone, and try to help whenever possible. I always knew he was incredible, even though he never spoke about his accomplishments or good deeds. After he passed, I had his phone, and I realized I was the person he set up to take over his Facebook in case of his death. I received hundreds of messages and calls from complete strangers telling me stories about my dad I never knew. They told me about how he gave them a job when they lost one; how he would let them sleep on a sofa in his office when they lost their home; how he would share his meal with those who couldn’t afford one, or how he would share the rest of his salary with those who needed it. Hundreds of people… I cried because even though I lost my favorite person in the world and I know I will NEVER LOVE anyone like I loved him, I realized that now my life has a new purpose and that is to fulfill his legacy and to honor his memory by helping others just like he did. I am going to share a little secret with you: I originally got a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Creative Writing, so now I am finally putting my learnings to good use and am writing a book about us two. Even if it doesn’t get published, my future – adopted – kids will read it and will know what an incredible human being their grandpa Jan Vomočil was. I will make sure he will never be forgotten. I love you dad, forever and ever.

Q: Finally, is there anything else you would like to share with us?

A: I just want to say that I am incredibly thankful for my amazing adventurous life, health, my great family, friends, and mainly for the incredible man who has been by my side even in the worst moments, and let me tell you, it’s not easy to live with me sometimes, but he never stopped supporting me and loving me. Je t’aime Cedric.
Also, find me on Instagram @lenkamayamarie and on my Facebook page “Mrs. National Universe Czech Republic” to reach out to me if you struggle with cancer or an addiction and need help or if you purely just want to say hi and support me. Additionally, please follow “Mrs. National Universe” on Facebook to like and comment on my official photo there. Thank you all.

This or That

Thank you for being a part of Beauty Corner, Lenka! It has been a pleasure working with you and being able to share your life and your endeavors with everyone. You have such a big heart and so much wisdom to share with the world.

Thank you all for reading this edition of Beauty Corner! Make sure to follow Lenka on her journey to the Mrs. National Universe 2022 crown. In addition, follow the official Mrs. National Universe Facebook page for updates regarding the pageant and to see the crown (it’s beautiful)!

Photo credit to all photographers

Follow the Beauty and Brains official Instagram for breaking news on all things pageantry! @beauty_brains_pageants

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