'Cinderella story': Liesl Laurie celebrates 10th Miss SA anniversary

‘Cinderella story’: Liesl Laurie celebrates 10th Miss SA anniversary

Liesl Laurie is celebrating the moment her life ‘changed forever’ when she was crowned Miss SA a decade ago.

Liesl Laurie is celebrating the 10th anniversary of her Miss SA crowning. Images via Instagram: @liesllaurie

Liesl Laurie is celebrating the 10th anniversary of her Miss SA crowning in 2015.

The Eldorado-born beauty queen won the competition at the age of 24. She is now married to Dr Musa Mthombeni and is a successful model and media personality.

LIESL LAURIE CELEBRATES 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF MISS SA CROWNING

In an Instagram post on Saturday, 29 March 2015, Liesl Laurie recalled being crowned Miss SA a decade ago.

She posted: “My life changed forever. All my ouma’s sacrifices paid off, all my mom’s prayers were answered. All my hard work finally paid off. God granted me the opportunity of a lifetime – without His grace, I would not have made it to that stage.

She added: “A blessing. An honour. A true Cinderella story”.

Liesl Laurie’s husband, Musa Mthombeni, also paid tribute to the special occasion with his own Instagram post. The former Yo-TV presenter – known for his quirky sense of humour – surprised his followers with an emotional post that read: “On this day 10 years ago, an angel was born. Whether or not that day had happened (it did happen), I know that I would still be married to you! So beautiful. So amazing! Congratulations, my baby!”

In 2015, Liesl was crowned in Sun City’s Super Bowl. The Eldorado-born queen succeeded Rolene Strauss, who was also crowned Miss World and preceded Ntando Kunene.

Liesl told pageant page Missology about her love of South Africa: “I believe that my country has the friendliest, loving people. We are the true representation of ‘Ubuntu.’ Love makes the world go round and love is truly what makes South Africa a beautiful place to live in.

During her reign, Liesl campaigned for equal rights for women and young girls. Her purpose project was the NGO Babies Behind Bars, which cared for infants born to incarcerated women in South Africa.

POVERTY AND A BROKEN FAMILY

Liesl Laurie has been open and honest about her difficult childhood and poverty-stricken household. Her maternal grandmother raised Liesl as her mother, Karen Laurie, was battling substance abuse.

She also claimed that her father was “absent” from her and her sister’s lives.

Liesl hinted that her father had tried to contact her when she won Miss SA, but she quickly shut it down. She also revealed that she helped her mother overcome her drug addiction.