Ex-Beauty queen, Anita Iseghohi speaks on marriage and current interests
Q: Tell us about your background?
A: I was born into a close-knit family
of six and I grew up in the midst of five boys; I am the only female. I
studied accounting at Madonna University and intentional business at the
University of University of Phoenix, Arizona, in the United States of
America. I was raised in Festac Town, Lagos, and as a child, many people
tried to convince my mum to allow me participate in several pageants
that were organised in my neighbourhood at the time. But, she never gave
her consent because she wanted me to complete my secondary school
education.
Q: What were some of your aspirations while growing up?
A: I had always had a life-long dream to
become a beauty queen. I was further inspired to participate in a
beauty pageant after Agbani Darego was crowned the first ever-black Miss
World. As fate would have it, I was crowned the Most Beautiful Girl in
Nigeria three years after Darego won the contest. The street was my
runway so I walked as though people were watching me and I always
carried myself in a certain way.
Q: Tell us about your journey to becoming the MBGN in 2004?
A: I heard about the promo over the
radio, while I was at the university and decided to give it a shot. It
was the first beauty pageant I ever partook in. I was not tensed because
I had a gut feeling that I would win and God saw me through. Making it
to the top 15 was a pleasant surprise. It’s been 12 years and it the
memories remain fresh in my mind. I can still fit into the clothes I
wore at the competition especially my swimsuit. The goal is to try those
clothes on in 20 years time and show them to my daughter.
Q: How did you meet your husband?
A: I met my husband at the business
class lounge at the Amsterdam airport, Holland. I was returning from the
Miss Universe pageant, which was held in China. We got talking and
realised that we were both from Edo State. I gave him a wrong number but
somehow he found my real number and contacted me. I don’t think I would
be were I am today if didn’t get married when I did. Some people may
say I married at a young age, but their definition doesn’t define who I
am.
Q: Did the age difference between you and your husband ever matter to you?
A: I am very confident and want to be
heard but if I had married a younger person, it will be difficult for my
views to be accepted. I am very passionate about my beliefs and my
husband understands me the way I am and is also very supportive.
Q: How would you describe your personality?
A: I am very reserved and I don’t think
the world needs to know everything about me asides my love for fashion. I
am very family-oriented and I never really know how much I could love
another being until my newborn was placed in your arms. I have very few
close friends and they are all I need because they accept me the way I
am.
Q: What projects are you currently working on?
A: I am currently working on a TV show
titled, Mommy Fabulous. It is a family oriented show and together with
my co-host, we will treat topics that concern the family, marriages and
women. Each week we will have also invite special guests to discuss some
of the issues being discussed. We will also treat some topics that
concern the menfolk and hold regular workout routines on set. A chef
will also be on hand to prepare healthy meals and smoothies live in the
studio.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: I love sophisticated outfits and
styles from the 80s.I love to describe my style as classic and
sophisticated. I like the idea of less is more because the less skin you
bare the sexier. Once in a while I love to show off my legs and at
other times I prefer to keep my look sweet and classy. I thought I loved
shoes until I began buying a lot of handbags. I love all the good
things of life and whenever I shop people are tempted to believe that I
am changing my wardrobe because I never ever buy just a single fashion
item.
Q: You appear to be very particular about your fitness routines?
A: I am very particular about my weight
and not having to gain unwanted calories. These are the major reasons
why I workout regularly and can almost pass for a fitness freak. When I
was pregnant with my last daughter, I gain about 43kg. By the time I had
her, I weighed115kg. I couldn’t stand looking at my self in a mirror
but my husband was very supportive. At the end of the day, I realised
that beside just working out regularly to lose the pregnancy weight, I
also needed to train myself to be able to have control over my food
intake.
Q: How were you able to shed the weight within a short period?
A: I had to change my lifestyle to a
much more healthier one and achieved this by learning to make my own
smoothies. By the time I perfected the art, they replaced my two major
meals of the day and that meant that I ate one balanced meal every day.
Two weeks after I gave birth, I started working out, with my baby in a
carrier in front of me, and my two boys in the play area in the gym. I
was never a fitness freak at first, so I learnt so many exercise
routines by watching YouTube. I got so addicted to the routines that I
would dream about them a day before. These days, I run about 11km on the
Lekki Bridge five days a week. I still do my strength training, squats,
my lunges, planks and weight lifting, for about 40 minutes. I also lift
5kg of weight.
Q: Do you have any special beauty regimen?
A: I moisturise my skin regularly, have
face feels twice a year and use Retinol sparingly. Of course, drinking a
lot of water also helps me retain a glowing complexion. In fact, I
don’t count calories but simply just eat smart. I eat pounded yam, rice,
and any food I crave for including, cheesecakes. But, I eat them in
considerably small portions.
Q: How long have you been married?
A: Ten years this year. When you enjoy
your partner’s company, you will not notice the years go by. My husband
is a very reserved and private person while I am more outgoing. I love
the fact that he allows me pursue my dreams.
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