SA's Miss World savours last weeks of reign

24 November 2015 - 02:15 By Leonie Wagner

With just a few weeks left as Miss World, Miss South Africa 2014 Rolene Strauss will soon be swapping her crown for medical textbooks - and a wedding ring. The former University of the Free State medical student walked away with the coveted title in London last year and has been travelling the world since then.Now in Sanya, China, for the lead-up to the 65th Miss World finale in December, Strauss has her plans in place for 2016.She told The Times she will be continuing with her medical studies and is getting married."I have such an exciting year ahead ... getting married and launching the Strauss Foundation are but a few of the things I am looking forward to," she said.She described her reign as delightful, saying: "I am seeing the world through different eyes after this amazing year."Volksrust-born Strauss said she had sampled some "weird" food on her travels - from snake in China to grasshoppers in Mexico - and said she loved trying out delicacies of the countries she has visited.Her advice to this year's contestants is to stay true to themselves."It is so important to be yourself," she said. "Be kind and humble, and know what to tell them about yourself that is important for the Miss World Organisation to know. If you don't tell them, who will?"The new Miss South Africa, Liesl Laurie, left for Sanya last week...

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