Maria Beltre is an enigma. Tall and athletic, with an inch and a half between her shoulders, Maria is described by other members of her entourage as having “the voice of a cat” – which, she insists, is a compliment! When Maria and I first met in the lobby of her hotel in Portofino, it was immediately clear that her appearance and persona did not fit the part of a traditional pin up girl.
But despite her height and physical beauty, Maria has a very feminine presence, not unlike some supermodels. She is quiet firm and never displays the ego normally seen in models in magazines. Instead, Maria rarely smiles and keeps her hands to herself, occasionally fending off a pointed comment with a rolled up piece of paper. I was immediately drawn to this slightly withdrawn yet feminine presence, which made me feel that maybe I was seeing the real Maria Beltre.
Maria is also of Mexican and French nationalities, but what was even more surprising to me was how keen she was on learning English. Despite her height and slim build, she made an effort to speak only in English, even when I spoke only my native language. Maria also made an effort to study the foods and cultures of both Mexico and the United States, in an attempt to better understand the differences between the two. In doing so, she picked up many useful tips about cooking and eating in both countries that she would carry with her for the rest of her life. These are hard to find in books or on television, but Maria’s willingness to learn and put in the work to find these insights makes her an incredibly wise woman. The combination of her confident attractiveness and her commitment to her studies paid off in a major way when she was chosen to represent the U.S. at Miss World, beating out contestant Valentina Sienna in a competition that nevertheless featured several women who were vastly experienced in their careers.