FROM home town cheerleader and aspiring model to beauty queen, TV host and the face of one of Australia’s largest department stores.
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It was 10 years ago today since Jennifer Hawkins, then a relatively unknown 20-year-old from Holmesville, was crowned Miss Universe in front of a global audience of 800 million people.
‘‘The night of June 1 is still a complete blur,’’ Hawkins says on her website.
‘‘I was in such a state of shock all I wanted to do was call my mum and dad.’’
From that moment, her life took a dramatic change.
She received $250,000 and travelled the world, visiting Korea, the Bahamas, Brazil, the Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Singapore, Indonesia, Canada, Trinidad and Tobago, India, Ecuador, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Thailand during her reign.
Her success on the global stage led to endorsements, magazine covers, TV show appearances and an expanding business empire.
She became the face of Myer in 2007 and has since launched her own brand of swimwear through the retailer.
Hawkins is the youngest of four siblings, raised by her parents Gail and Robert in north-west Lake Macquarie.
