Miss Trinidad and Tobago World 2006/Tineke De Frietas

Age: 23 years
Height: 1.74 meters (5'8.5")

Former national junior swimmer, Tineke De Freitas, was chosen to represent T&T at the Miss World 2006 competition, scheduled to take place in Poland on September 30. There were 5 fast-track winners and regional limitations of 2 delegates per region. One regional semifinalist was chosen by internet votes while the other was chosen by a panel of judges which included the owner of MWorg, Mrs Julia Morley. Tineke failed to advance to the semis of the international event.

Screening and finals for MT&TW2006 were conducted within one weekend (two day selection process).

what a body!

10th April 2006
Introducing Tineke De Freitas
By Cedriann J Martin


Tineke De Freitas Credits...Photos...Calvin French Make-Up...Sacha Cosmetics Hair...Bally Swimwear...Inn Collection Clothing...Peter Elias

There was a whirlwind of an open call, a whisk of a final night, and after just two days of sorting and selecting, here's your new Miss Trinidad and Tobago for Miss World, Tineke De Freitas. She's a 23-year-old chartered accountant who has cultivated a comfort with both competition and being on-stage. And she's cute too.

This new cut-to-the-chase method of queen-making is not for the faint of heart or the flabby of limb. The Miss Trinidad and Tobago Pageant Company was blunt with the girls. With the Miss World pageant in Poland just five months away, they were looking for someone who could get emotionally and physically ready... fast. And though Tineke didn't grow up nursing dreams of sashes and tiaras (a conglomerate of friends and sisters nagged until she entered this year) she's been preparing for the stint all her life.

A one-time competitive swimmer attached to Marlin's Swim Club, she represented Trinidad and Tobago as a pre teen. She's been performing with the Dance Academy--ballet, modern and tap--since she was a child. And during the last three years, with that combination of genetic gifts and dancer's grace, she got one long, lean leg into the modeling world. The combination of past times has equipped her to perform under pressure. In fact Tineke thinks that her strength is composure.

"Honestly I was very relaxed. It was so amazing. I guess it was due to my whole mind set. I know how to perform in front of crowds and I've done modeling screenings in Toronto that were today for tomorrow. All those things contributed to my calm aura," she says with a full-bodied voice.

She's the fifth of six children--four girls and two boys--born to an accountant father and homemaker. Phrases she uses to describe her family--close-knit, deeply religious, Brady Bunch.

"My parents have always been willing to make the sacrifice so we can do whatever we wanted to do and they've given us the guidance to make sound decisions," she says. She describes herself as a child--energetic, fun, interesting, sociable, gregarious. I therefore wonder: how did she become an accountant?

"What's the appeal of accounting?" I ask.

"Is there an appeal? I heard they're boring."

So she has a sense of humour. The past pupil of Providence Girls' Catholic and St. Joseph's Convent says she' always had a penchant for working with numbers. She enjoyed accounting in school and found her groove in the tax department when she entered the world of work. Tineke has spent the last four years at Ernst and Young and completed her ACCA without a hitch a year and a half ago.

After a few local modeling gigs she was a finalist at the inaugural Ocean Style Model Search last year. One of the judges from a Canadian agency kept insisting that she try her luck in Toronto.

"I thought it was a joke initially but eventually I decided 'why not?'' I tried it and it was fantastic. I got a few gigs. I had a ball," Tineke says of her foray into the fashion world. The decision to enter Miss Trinidad and Tobago was done in the same spirit. Why not?

"I think it will make me a well rounded woman. Not just one who can go on-stage and smile. Someone who is well spoken, well read, well travelled... who picks up and go to Poland? It's an opportunity to be an ambassador," she says.

The most refreshing thing about Tineke? None of the overbearing political correctness of beauty-queens-who-don't-want-to-say-the-wrong-thing. And there were none of the faux pas of beauty-queens-who-don't-realise-they're-saying-the-wrong-thing either.

To wit: Tineke admits that while modeling in Canada she witnessed drugs being passed around like appetisers and was even offered some.

"What kind of drugs?"

"Cocaine," she unblinkingly informs. "Thankfully I was very well brought up and it wasn't hard to say no. Also I was older than many of the girls. Less impressionable."

When asked by the panel of judges (including former Miss World, Giselle La Ronde) which of the pageants she'd prefer, she responded frankly. Bring on the Universe.

And given her response and the precedent set in recent years with beauties like Magdalene Walcott and, most recently, Kenisha Thom, I ask the obvious. Does she expect to represent T&T at Miss Universe next year?

"That appears to be the trend but I'm guarded against expecting it. In any event," she shrugs "it isn't a forgone conclusion that I'd enter."

Big sister TINEKE
... saves the day in Poland for her Caribbean sisters

Tineke never hesitated to lend her clothes to those who lost their luggage.


TINEKE DE FREITAS, T&T’s delegate to the Miss World Beauty Pageant 2006 has adopted the role of big sister in far-off Poland, where she has already settled in for competition night come September 30!

Sunday PUNCH has learnt that the 23-year-old Westmoorings beauty has been forced to share her clothes with some of her Caribbean sisters, who reportedly lost their luggage en route from London to Poland last week.

It was the certified accountant who immediately went to their rescue offering them pieces of her clothing until their situation improved. The Caribbean girls are all staying in the same hotel.

She never hesitated to lend them her clothes and she has promised to do it again,” Adrian Raymond revealed to Sunday PUNCH.

She also told me that she had no problem in wearing the same clothes again.”
Raymond is a member of the Peter Elias and Associates team, organisers of the local leg of the beauty pageant. With three weeks to competition night, Raymond also said that the big-hearted De Freitas has already been placed in the top 20 at two Miss World betting agencies.

De Freitas’ roommate is Miss Cayman Islands.

“Tineke is slowly warming to the competition and she knows she has a big job on her hands,” Raymond added.
“She had good interaction with the big

lady herself, Julia Morley, and she’s happy

with the way things are going,” he ended.

SOURCE: http://www.tntmirror.com/punch/2006/sep10/story04.htm

Tineke with her national gift-a cricket bat signed by Brian Lara

ONE WORD: STUNNER!!!!!!!!!!

i really appreciate beauties from t&t