00:00Hi, I'm Tasneem, a 40-plus model, a PR and freelance consultant, a mom of two, and now a pageant aspirant as the national finalist of Miss Universe India 2025, a journey that began two months ago when I got a call from Miss Universe team in India suggesting that I register with them.
00:20To me, that was the start of a whole new journey that I never imagined possible. But here I am, two months later, having worked incredibly hard on myself from mental health and physical fitness to my walk, to my poses, but most importantly to my mindsets and mental resilience because entering a pageant like this is not just about how you look, it's about how you feel, how you think, how you present yourself in the world and what purpose you carry.
00:50My purpose is that of reinvention. I want to be that example, having started my own journey at the age of 40 in modeling, a career in front of the camera nonetheless, to set the example and be a beacon of hope to so many women out there who believed that their time has passed and it's too late for them or they're too old or not worthy to live their dreams.
01:15Now entering this journey, I am both nervous, actually petrified, as well as excited. I'm nervous because I am the oldest contestant at 42 to be a part of such a platform, competing against, at an average, a 20-year-old, which is intimidating in its own way.
01:36It has given me a lot of reasons to feel, am I good enough? Am I too old? But then again, every time those fears arise, I remind myself that, no, my time is now. I have worked very hard, not just in the last two months, but over the last 10 years on myself.
01:52I have read, I have gained the life experiences and I have developed the mindsets and mental resilience to be exactly where I am. This is my time and I'm ready to have a great time there.
02:05I'm excited because I'm going to be competing against 53 amazing women. I'm really looking forward to getting to know them and use this opportunity of one whole month to really learn, grow and have the best time of my life.
02:20Follow my journey. I will be sharing a lot of behind the scenes and exciting updates from what it is like to be in a beauty pageant.
02:27Hi, I'm Tasneem Raza, a Dubai-based resident for nearly 20 years now, a PR and communications consultant, a 40-plus model and a mom of two.
02:39I changed my narrative of what success means to me about two years ago when I left my corporate job and entered the world of freelancing and modeling at the age of 40.
02:49As a mom of two, I never imagined this to be something possible for me, but Dubai Being Dubai offered me the safe, secure and encouraging platform to become a freelancer and a model and explore a life of adventures.
03:05I am so grateful to Gulf News for bringing my story, a story of reinvention, of starting again at the age of 40 and proving that it's never too late to redefine success and live your life fully.
03:17As part of their success stories, they always bring out the most incredible, real, inspiring stories of Dubai residents, and I am so grateful to be a part of them.
03:29I hope that my story inspires you towards change as well, to know that it's never too late, you're never not worthy, and your time is not past.
03:39If you have a dream, it's time to make it happen now because Dubai is the best place that will nurture your dreams and give you the right platform to spread your wings and fly.
