Nepal, Aug. 6 -- From working as an investment strategist and holding a black belt in Taekwondo to delivering a TEDx talk and running marathons, Deepmala Dhakal, Miss Nepal World 2026, defies conventional stereotypes.

In a candid conversation with the Post's Jony Nepal and Rivash Rijal, she reflects on her pageantry journey, navigating public scrutiny, and bringing global visibility to Nepal.

What was your biggest inspiration to begin your pageantry journey?

I knew I wanted to participate even before I was born because of my mother, who was a contestant in the very first Miss Nepal in 1994. Growing up outside Nepal, I did not relate to figures in the local Chinese limelight in Hong Kong; they didn't look or sound like me. But in pagean...