The minimum age limit for the Miss Helsinki competition is 20 years, but the upper age limit has been waived this year.
Kati Kaarila wanted to participate in the Miss Helsinki competition with her own business idea. Kati Kaarila’s home album
The Miss Helsinki competition has experienced changes in recent years, and more changes are ahead. Next fall, the name of the competition will change, and according to the organizers, it will no longer be clear even at the name level.
The idea of the competition is no longer to look for the “most beautiful woman”, but the emphasis is entirely on entrepreneurship and the business world. The minimum age limit for the competition is 20 years, but there is no upper age limit. In last year’s competition, the upper age limit was still 30 years.
A proud 49-year-old
One of the semifinalists of the competition is 49 years old Kati Kaarila. Kaarila has not actively thought that she would like to participate in a competition like the Miss Helsinki competition or especially a beauty contest, but with the changes, her interest was awakened.
– When I noticed that more female entrepreneurs were supported in the competition and the upper age limit had been removed, the thought stuck in my mind, Kaarila describes to Iltalehte.
Kati Kaarila turns 50 in the fall. MAREK SABOGAL
Kaarila has worked in the IT and marketing fields during her life. She is also a mother of four children. For five years of his life, he lived with his extended family in Australia.
– I have a lot of knowledge about the business world, but in my opinion, the best end result comes when we do things together. So age is certainly useful, but equally I learned a lot from the young participants of the competition, says Kaarila.
Kaarila has also worked as an actress and model in her career. Julia Borodina
Kaarila agrees with the competition organizers that age is just a number. However, the mother of four understands that aging can show.
– On the other hand, age is much more than a number, because the body inevitably ages and changes. With age, knowledge and skills also increase.
Kaarila dreams that she would be able to develop her own business idea further through the competition. In the future, Kaarila wants to work as a coach who helps her clients reach their own dreams. He hopes to get more contacts in the industry through the competition.
Kaarila is happy that she can also learn from younger competitors about life and entrepreneurship. MAREK SABOGAL
“Age does not define”
Mirella Merivirta, the second organizer of the competition, tells Iltalehte that the removal of the upper age limit is based specifically on leaving the beauty pageant status. Self-aware women with life experience are wanted for the competition.
– The older they get, the more people usually know what they want from life. We are more self-aware, and a certain kind of understanding of life has increased, Merivirtaa opens to Iltalehte.
According to the organizers, applicants have not been asked their age at the casting event of the competition, and the competition does not intend to reveal it at any stage. Merivirta therefore does not directly know what age competitors will be participating this year.
– In our concept, age no longer defines anything. We don’t see age being a necessary factor here. Age does not define you or how skilled you are.
The producers of the Miss Helsinki competition are Mirella Merivirta and Veronika Wirtanen. Miss Helsinki
According to Merivirta, the Miss Helsinki competition is also wanted to be more and more responsible. For this reason, the minimum age limit for the competition is 20 years, so that the participants understand more about publicity and the things it brings.
– The entertainment world is a tough place and 18 years old is still so young. We don’t want the competitors to get on the wrong roads or do the wrong things in blind speed. We want the competitors to know what they are getting into and what they want from life, Merivirta continues.
The final of the Miss Helsinki New Era competition will be held on November 17.