		<div class="wpcnt">
			<div class="wpa">
				<span class="wpa-about">Advertisements</span>
				<div class="u top_amp">
							<amp-ad width="300" height="265"
		 type="pubmine"
		 data-siteid="109460728"
		 data-section="1">
		</amp-ad>
				</div>
			</div>
		</div><div class="articleWide cleared">
<div class="alpha">
<div id="js-article-text" class="article-text wide">
<h1><span style="color:#5e0b0b;">The losing contestants don&#8217;t seem thrilled &#8211; judge for yourself how genuine the smiles are!</span></h1>
<h1><span style="color:#5e0b0b;">But&#8230; beauty, brains and self-belief helped the 19-year-old architecture student to succeed</span></h1>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="articleWide cleared">
<div class="alpha">
<ul class="mol-bullets-with-font">
<li class=""><span style="color:#5e0b0b;">Mirella Paz Baylon, 19, is one of ten Miss Universe Peru finalists</span></li>
<li class=""><span style="color:#5e0b0b;">She is the first plus-size woman to compete in the pageant&#8217;s final</span></li>
<li class=""><span style="color:#5e0b0b;">Representing Lima, she was picked from 30 women in the qualifier</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
<p>The first ever plus-size model to compete for a major beauty queen title in Peru has defied school bullies that described her as a &#8216;hog&#8217; by reaching the final.<br />
Mirella Paz Baylon, 19, from the Lima region, Peru, broke down in tears of joy after making it to the final ten in the 2016 Miss Peru Universe.<br />
The curvaceous beauty queen had previously spoken of how she had been tormented by fellow students over her size and shape.</p>
<h5><strong><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-13245" src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/335afbd600000578-3549404-image-a-28_1461147554049.jpg" alt="335afbd600000578-3549404-image-a-28_1461147554049" width="634" height="793" />Pageant Queen: Mirella Paz Baylon, 19, has become the first ever plus-size woman to make it through to the final of the Miss Peru beauty competition</strong><br />
<strong><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-13247" src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/335af8aa00000578-3549404-image-m-48_1461147651296.jpg" alt="335af8aa00000578-3549404-image-m-48_1461147651296" width="634" height="614" />Leading lady: Miss Paz Baylon represented the Lima region in the 2016 Miss Peru Universe, and was one of the finalists picked to go through</strong><br />
<strong><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-13249" src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/335af0bd00000578-3549404-image-a-30_1461147565321.jpg" alt="335af0bd00000578-3549404-image-a-30_1461147565321" width="634" height="438" />Emotional response: The 19-year-old was overjoyed when the judges put her through to the final, shown on local television in Peru</strong></h5>
<p>Miss Paz Baylon made it through the first round of 31 contestants in the 2016 Miss Peru Universe, and will now compete in the final this month.<br />
The results were televised as part of a reality TV show and Miss Paz Baylon&#8217;s emotional reaction could not be mistaken as she found out she was put through.<br />
Miss Paz Baylon said: &#8216;Thank you. You have no idea how pleased I am to have this opportunity. Thank you, thank you.&#8217;<br />
Miss Paz Baylon, an architecture student, described how she used to weigh more than 15 stone, but lost some weight before the competition for health reasons.<br />
Winner: Miss Paz Baylon hugging Jessica Newton, contest organizer, in front of her fellow contestants</p>
<h5><strong><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-13253" src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/335af0aa00000578-3549404-image-a-36_1461147591708.jpg" alt="335af0aa00000578-3549404-image-a-36_1461147591708" width="634" height="423" />Winner: Miss Paz Baylon hugging Jessica Newton, contest organizer, in front of her fellow contestants</strong><br />
<strong><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-13255" src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/335af4a100000578-3549404-image-m-49_1461147680058.jpg" alt="335af4a100000578-3549404-image-m-49_1461147680058" width="306" height="438" /><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-13257" src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/335af0a500000578-3549404-image-m-50_1461147728193.jpg" alt="335af0a500000578-3549404-image-m-50_1461147728193" width="306" height="438" /></strong><br />
<strong>To the top: The teenager burst into tears when she was told that she had been put through to the final</strong><br />
<strong><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-13259" src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/335af0b600000578-3549404-image-a-39_1461147605814.jpg" alt="335af0b600000578-3549404-image-a-39_1461147605814" width="634" height="433" />Groundbreaking: Miss Paz Baylon is one of ten young women competing for the Miss Universe Peru title</strong><br />
<strong><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-13261" src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/335af8b200000578-3549404-image-a-47_1461147647246.jpg" alt="335af8b200000578-3549404-image-a-47_1461147647246" width="634" height="421" />Stunner: Miss Paz Baylon looked radiant and exuded confidence when she took part in the bathing suit segment of the competition</strong></h5>
<p>She said: &#8216;I&#8217;ve dropped 20 kilos (3.15 stone) in three months and I hope I can lose even more for better results. I&#8217;ve eaten healthily and done a lot of exercise.&#8217;She said: &#8216;People called me fat and said I was a hog at university, and I had people talking behind my back.<br />
&#8216;I&#8217;m a little nervous, but I&#8217;m happy I&#8217;ve put all my effort into it because I want to win Miss Peru Universe 2016.&#8217;<br />
Saura Spoya, the Miss Peru Universe 2015 winner, posted an Instagram photo with the XL model and said: &#8216;What a dream to have finally met Mirella.&#8217;</p>
<h5><strong><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-13263" src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/335af8bb00000578-3549404-almost_there_miss_paz_ballon_is_now_one_step_closer_to_represent-m-57_1461148688526.jpg" alt="335af8bb00000578-3549404-almost_there_miss_paz_ballon_is_now_one_step_closer_to_represent-m-57_1461148688526" width="634" height="970" />Almost there: Miss Paz Ballon is now one step closer to representing her country in the international Miss Universe pageant</strong><br />
<strong><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-13265" src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/335af8ce00000578-3549404-image-m-53_1461148233139.jpg" alt="335af8ce00000578-3549404-image-m-53_1461148233139" width="306" height="497" /><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-13267" src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/335af8c600000578-3549404-image-m-55_1461148279556.jpg" alt="335af8c600000578-3549404-image-m-55_1461148279556" width="306" height="497" /></strong><br />
<strong>Beauty and brains: When she is not competing in pageants, the teenager studies architecture at university </strong></h5>
<p><strong><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-13270" src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/335afbdc00000578-3549404-image-a-46_1461147636294.jpg" alt="335afbdc00000578-3549404-image-a-46_1461147636294" width="634" height="390" />Hopefuls: Miss Paz Baylon with some of the other contestants during the semi-final of the pageant</strong></p>
<h5><em><strong>Lets us know what you think of this article. Like? Dislike? Funny? Interesting? Cool? Drop us a line in the comment box or join us on facebook and twitter to help us give you a better reading experience</strong> </em></h5>

