Queen of the Cosmos

HERE'S an interesting insight on what was going on inside Carrie Lee Sze Kei’s mind when she was in the finals of the Miss Chinese Cosmos International beauty pageant in China in 2004.

“I was hoping to fall down a flight of stairs and hurt a leg. Then, I’d have a good excuse not to represent my country,” said Lee, 24.

There you have it. The real truth from the crown owner of Miss Chinese Cosmos International 2004.

It may sound odd to think that a winner could have such negative thoughts. After all, don’t all the self help gurus preach the power of positive thinking and the effect it has on the ultimate outcome?

“Of course, I wanted to win. Deep down in my heart there was this faint glimmer of hope but at that time, I dare not dream of the impossible,” said Lee, who eventually won over the judges’ hearts with her implacable charm.

Winning the Miss Chinese Cosmos International title was no mean feat for Lee who revealed that the contestants had to go for soldier training and rafting.

Many girls, she said, dropped out because they could not take the harsh training.

“One contestant had to be airlifted to hospital as she could not breathe due to the thin air in Luku Lake, Yunnan, where the altitude is higher,” said Lee.

Lee, who was 19 at that time, surmised that her perseverance was largely due to her athletic background.

She was a striker and centre in her school’s handball team and as a school runner, she has 120 gold medals to her name. Being fit had been a plus point for this former student of SMJK Segambut Jaya, not to mention a winner’s natural desire to triumph above all odds.

“It may seem to many that beauty queens are goddesses and true when they are on stage, they do have that aura. However, being a beauty queen requires stamina and strength. You have to be poised and confident at all times and I will tell you, it was not something that came naturally to me,” said Lee.

It is presumed that beauty queens are born and not made. Looking at Lee’s delicate features and slim 169cm frame, it is easy to believe that this Kuala Lumpur-born Sagittarian already has her name in the stars from the very beginning but what lies underneath her innocent baby-faced features is an ambitious and determined businesswoman.

At an age when other girls were busy pursuing their tertiary education, Lee had to work as she needed to support her family.

“I worked three part-time jobs, one of which included working night shift in a cybercafe. During the weekends, I’d take on the job of a sales promoter. This was when I’d get calling cards from the casting agencies,” said Lee.

It was a chance that she would not miss, thanks to the efforts of her friends and family members who egged her on into giving a go at the entertainment industry. By this time, however, her business acumen had kicked in and despite her tender age, she was already organising events for her clients.

“It started with a simple request to find more promoters and what I would do was to find 10 girls who could do the job and I’d make maybe about RM20 from each of them in terms of introduction fees. Things progressed from there and over time, I just did what came naturally,” said Lee, who has become a pro at event management.

Still, at the time of her first beauty contest, the Miss Tourism International in 2003, Lee admitted that she had not yet mustered enough confidence to take part in such a grand event.

“My initial philosophy was to have a steady footing as a businesswoman. Furthermore, I was the type to get stage fright and I was very scared of speaking out,” said Lee, who had once owned a boutique and a nail spa.

In came her ardent supporters who insisted that she gave the pageant a go and to cut a long story short, Lee emerged triumphant to eventually wear the coveted tiara as Miss Chinese Cosmos International.

It was a decision that the judges would not regret as Lee eventually took on the job of promoting the pageant in Malaysia and later on in South East Asia, under her company, White Fairy, which is situated in Bandar Sri Damansara.

In addition, Lee also clinched the lead role alongside Filipino actor Alfred Vargas in Muli, a hit Philippines drama series in 2006.

Detailing the rides that have accompanied her thus far, Lee who started off with a Gen 2 is proud to reveal that she will be awaiting the arrival of her Audi TT next month.

“What I wanted was a Nissan Fairlady but I thought that the Audi would stand out better because it was rare. This will be a personal treat for me,” said Lee.

Still, the Audi TT will not be Lee’s first thrill ride. Back in Hong Kong, she has her boyfriend’s Ferrari 430 waiting in the garage.

“After driving a Ferrari, there is nothing you can’t handle,” said Lee.

However, for the family oriented Lee who is the second of three siblings, a sports car would not be the end all for someone who likes to have her family members close by.

This is why she also has a Hyundai Grand Starex, a 11-seater family car where parents, brothers and cousins can fit in comfortably. In fact, big SUVs are quite a hit with Lee, who used to have a Nissan El Grande parked in her driveway. The Nissan eventually made way for the Hyundai when the numbers in her family grew.

“Big and spacious is what I like about the Starex,” said Lee.

For more information on Carrie Lee, check out her website at www.carrielee.com.my

Story and pictures by Grace Chen

Published in CBT