Mamta Barmeda won three prestigious titles in the USA Pageant World 2023

My Story

I was born and raised in Thane, India. I knew from an early age that I was drawn to the fashion industry and dreamed to be a pro model. I have a strong sense of style that made me stand out in the crowd and was approached by designers to model for them. I started professionally modeling in my teens but took a pause after marriage and moved to the USA. I enrolled at Indiana University and graduated with a degree in Occupational Therapy and subsequently became a Certified Hand Therapist(CHT). I have been proudly working for IU Health since then and am a grateful mother of two wonderful boys. I have been wearing multiple hats since then of being a daughter, mom, wife, sister, corporate woman and always been trying to attend to the needs of those around me. I realized that I needed to care for myself just as much as I did for those around me. I am fortunate to have an incredibly supportive husband who supports my dreams and aspirations. My mother and father have always been there for me and although my mom is no more, it was her encouragement and belief in me that led me back into the fashion industry. The dream of being a model was strong enough for me to pursue it. I am back into modeling and thoroughly enjoying it!

When I saw my modeling picture in New York Time Square Billboard, I knew my mom would have been so proud of me. Being a runway model in New York Fashion Week and Los Angelas Fashion Week, opened up opportunities for me to take part in the Mrs Bharat Elite Indiana 2023, a pageantry organized by MydreamTV USA Entertainment and was crowned as the Winner. This was entirely a new experience for me as I had never seen myself as being a pageant participant, let alone a winner. The thought of competing in pageantry is both intimidating and challenging. I had to overcome my own fears in order to take part in the pageant. The negative stigma of the pageant world is still out there and it is so far from the truth. The pageant has many positive aspects including personal development, networking, career developments and most importantly, have the ability to use the platform to make a positive change in the world. The pageant platform is also a great way to inspire others. I was amazed to see how many women reached out to me and said that I was an “inspiration” for them. The positive impact of my journey in the lives of the women around me is undeniably, the definition of success for me.

Being crowned as a State winner, opened doors for me to take part in the prestigious Mrs Universe USA 2024 in Seattle on Nov 11th, 2023 also held by MydreamTV USA, where I proudly earned the 2nd RUP title. This was a “wicked tough” competition, I joke with my friends, as all the contestants were truly amazing and are well accomplished in their own way. This pageant had an interview segment, prop round, evening gown round and the final round of Q/A. I was lucky to be coached by the pageant coach, Meenal Drockz who’s guidance made the world of difference for me.

The interview segment was a way for the judges to judge the contestants’ thoughts on domestic violence. My thoughts, as I shared with them, were that domestic violence was wrong at every level and happens not only to women, but also to men, children, elders and even pets. There should be no tolerance for this and it has to stop. I hope that no one has to go through the domestic violence.

My “prop” round segment was inspired by my personal story. I was raised in a male dominated society and had experienced first handed discrimination. I had to fight against strong gender bias to be where I am today. I stood tall wearing the “prop” outfit that had the words describing my journey of being STRONG, BOLD, INDEPENDENT, RESILIENT and EMPOWERING, which is the definition of being a MODERN WOMAN to me. The home made prop was engineered with the help of my genius husband and my masterminded dad which turned my vision into reality. I traveled solo to Seattle for the competition and had faced challenges to rebuild the prop in a very limited space. I used the bathroom floor to set the prop up after my hair and makeup was done. It took me about 45 minutes to build it properly. The prop was spread with feathers, daggers and swords to make the impact of the story and was physically difficult to move around in it. However, when it was time for me to walk on the stage, I did so confidently and was able to make the impact I wanted with the props. Gender inequality is a cause I continue to fight for and hope that the world not only narrows this inequality gap, but closes it for good.

During the question/answer round, I was asked, “What does it mean to me to be in the top 5?’ My answer was my inspiration to what comes next in my life. I answered, “ Thank you for the question. To me, to make it to top 5 means the world to me. Growing up, I wanted to be on this stage. I wanted to be here because I grew up in a society that did not promote women to do things for themselves. I am here to promote SELF CARE and SELF LOVE. This to me, is self care and self love. I am here to promote this for ALL of us. We all deserve self care. I am super excited to be here and I really appreciate this question as it will help us ALL to bring this change amongst us, take care of ourselves cause when we take care of ourselves, the WORLD is a better place! Thank you so much! “ The judge and the crowd cheered. I was also crowned as Mrs Indiana Elite Universe 2024 during the Seattle pageant show. When I processed these victories, I thought to myself that this platform needs to be used for a good cause. A pageant with a cause makes perfect sense to me. My belief that everyone deserves self care and self love, led me to start a non-profit organization “I am worth it, Inc.” The mission of this organization is to “Promote self care and empower people with skills to present themselves confidently in the society.” I was thrilled beyond words when my father was the first one to donate to this great cause. I hope to continue to make a positive difference in the lives of others, by empowering them. To learn more about this organization, email at imworthitM@gmail.com.

Mamta Barmeda exemplifies the true essence of what it takes to be a winner – passion, perseverance, and an unwavering commitment to making a difference. Her journey to victory serves as an inspiration to thousands, highlighting the transformative power of a dream pursued against all odds. Through their advocacy and impactful initiatives, Mamta Barmeda continues to leave an indelible mark on society, reinforcing the belief that it is through hard work and dedication that dreams are turned into reality.

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