ILOILO -- Ipinanganak si Alexie Mae Caimoso Brooks sa Metro Manila ng kanyang ina na isang overseas Filipino worker o OFW sa Lebanon noong taong 2001.

Dito sa bulubunduking bahagi sa bayan ng Leon, Iloilo, nagkamalay at lumaki si Brooks sa pangangalaga ng kanyang lola na si Basing.

Lumaki si Brooks nang hindi nakilala ang kanyang ama.

"My grandma is my life, she's the drive, Without her, I don't think I would be the same Alexie that I am right now. Without her, I don't think I have this dream. I don't think I would be able to achieve the achievement that I have right now kasi everything I do right now and everything I have done is also for her," ani Brooks.

Kwento ni Brooks, naging malaking hamon sa kanya ang lumaki na iba ang kulay ng balat at kulot ang buhok dahil lagi siyang nabu-bully ng mga bata, idagdag pa ang naranasang hirap sa buhay.

"My life isn't easy back in Leon. I often get bullied for being black. I don't have my parents growing up. At times I didn't have lunch going to school. I remember that we don't have money to buy rice so ang mais nga ginalaga amp ma hinajimo namon nga rice and my viand was just pinakas and the kids they would always eat sa table and I make sure that everyone's done eating and I would go to the restroom and eat there cause I don't want them to see what I'm eating Kasi they'll gonna bully you for that," Brooks.

Sa pangangalaga ng kanyang Lola Basing, nagpursige si Brooks na mag-aral hanggang sa maging atleta at humakot ng maraming gintong medalya sa loob at sa labas ng bansa sa larangan ng high jump.

Tuwing matatapos naman ang klase ay diretso na si Brooks sa palengke para tulungan ang kanyang lola na magbenta ng mga gulay mula sa kanilang lugar.

"We have pwesto sa supermarket. Every Friday sa gabi after my school I would go there and help my grandma and kis a wala na kami hiligdaan na kay gamay lang ang pwesto. But ever since my grandma told me just dream big," dagdag na kuwento ni Brooks.

Maliit pa lang ay pangarap na ni Brooks ang maging isang beauty queen at nitong Sabado, Enero 13, nakuha ni Brooks ang korona bilang Miss Iloilo 2024, kung saan humakot siya ng maraming awards.

Inialay ni Brooks ang kanyang tagumpay sa kanyang mahal na Lola Basing.

"My grandma, I really came from nothing. Someone saw you, someone believed in you, someone encouraged you, someone gave you love without you even asking and once someone did that to you selflessly, you just know that's a real one. That's a genuine type of love and when she gave you all those love without me even asking I know that moment that I knew that I need to return even more of what she gave to me," ani Brooks.

Binansagan din ng netizens bilang Zozibini Tunzi ng bansa ang 22-taong-gulang na Ilongga beauty queen dahil sa pagkakahawig niya sa Miss Universe 2019 mula South Africa.

Sa ngayon ay pinaghahandaan ni Brooks ang Miss Universe Philippines 2024 kung saan siya ang magiging kinatawan ng Iloilo City sa pinakamalaking beauty pageant sa bansa.

• Iloilo beauty wagi sa Miss Universe Philippines
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