Goa, April 22 -- Dolcy D'Cruz

Born in Merces to parents Viriato Fernandes and Maria Gonsalves, Valankie Fernandes, moved from Goa to the UK at the age of nine and is now a finalist in the Miss Universe Great Britain 2026 pageant. She is the youngest with two big brothers, Volney and Verney. She studied in Goa up to Class 3 at Mary Immaculate Girls' High School, Panjim. "I lived with extended family, uncles, aunties, grandparents. My father and my brother moved a couple of years before and then we joined them in 2006," says Valankie about her roots in Goa, a place she holds close to her heart.

Earlier, the family used to visit Goa every four or five years, but since 2023 Valankie has been travelling back every year, mainly in December, a...