Riyo Mori

I was born December 24, 1986 in Aoi-ku, Shizuoka, Japan) I'm a Japanese dance instructor who won the Miss Universe 2007 title in May 2007. I began dancing at the age of 4. I studied at Quinte Ballet School of Canada and also is a graduate of Centennial Secondary School in Belleville, Ontario, Canada. I'm still in posession of mt first ballet shoes. I was crowned Miss Universe Japan on 15 March 2007 and I was crowned by outgoing titleholder Kurara Chibana. As Japan's representative in the Miss Universe 2007 pageant, Mori I travelled to Mexico City, Mexico in early May to participate in four weeks of events, rehearsals and preliminary competitions with the other seventy-seven delegates. In the final competition, broadcast internationally on May 28, 2007, I was announced as one of fifteen semi-finalists who would move forward to compete for the title. I achieved the highest score in the swimsuit competition, which advanced me to the top ten and the evening gown competition, in which I placed fourth. In the last round, I was asked by ELLE Magazine fashion director and Project Runway judge, Nina Garcia, to speak about something she learned in past but benefited from also in youth. I said that since childhood I was dancing and hence I am always surrounded by students. Due to interactions with them, I have become happy, positive and patient. I was crowned Miss Universe 2007 by outgoing titleholder Zuleyka Rivera of Puerto Rico at the conclusion of the competition, so I was crowned Miss Universe, becoming the second woman from Japan to hold the title. The first Miss Universe winner from Japan was Akiko Kojima in 1959. I am the ninth Asian woman to win the pageant, the most recent being Lara Dutta of India who was Miss Universe 2000. I was the third Japanese woman to place in the top five at Miss Universe in the past five years. Miyako Miyazaki placed fourth runner-up at Miss Universe 2003, and Mori's predecessor Kurara Chibana was first runner-up in 2006.