Caroline Jurie, the reigning Mrs World 2020, with hard work and dedication beat some of the top contestants to win the international pageant. Armed with her international star status, she is constantly seen with her husband Nishantha Deepal, who was based in Dubai but has moved back to Lanka and is helping Caroline with the duties of Mrs World.
We from the Sunday Observe Youth spoke to Nishantha and how it feels to be in the spotlight with his wife, “I am blessed to have someone like Caroline as my wife. She is an extremely empathetic, generous and loving human being. Her most cherished and important title is being a mother to our two-year-old daughter, Elisha. Winning the pageant was her childhood dream, and having known her for so long I was confident that she would win.”
Supportive spouses like Nishantha are rare today, and he always believed in Caroline and saw her determination. “Despite her deep-rooted strength and relentless determination, there were times when she was tempted to give up due to financial constraints and professional demands. During those trying times, I would always remind her of her lifelong dream and her promising potential. I assured her that she would never be alone in this journey and that I would be there for her throughout. I did my best to reduce as much pressure as possible in terms of her day to day commitments and responsibilities, allowing her to focus more on realizing her goal.”
“It has been a dream which finally materialized, and had a lot to do with the right timing in life. She has always wanted to give back to the country and to inspire people by working hard and living honestly. After winning Mrs Sri Lanka for Mrs World 2020, she now has a platform to do just that. She has the privilege of a global platform to voice herself and act the change she believes in,”Nishantha elaborated.
He has always been a source of strength to her and wants to continue supporting Caroline in all ventures which would follow after her being crowned. “Although the social media attacked Caroline’s family in many ways, the couple took it with a pinch of salt, “Social media is a powerful platform and like every powerful platform, it has to be handled responsibly. It allows you to reach many people and provides an effective tool for influence, with which responsibility should be paired. Unfortunately, in the best of times, this pairing is not always successful. You should never let yourself be defined by criticism and negativity but instead by how you address the critique. That is the key. This journey has presented us with many obstacles and challenges but the takeaway which we deeply value is what we learnt from it and how we have grown together.
“We have more to grow and more to learn by which we will develop and become stronger as a unit. Social media is a forum for freedom of expression, not everyone would always agree with you but that is life and you have to learn to live with that and move forward. It is important to react to these difficult situations with empathy and grace because we must set an example to all.”
This year is going to be eventful for Caroline, and how does it feel to be the husband of Mrs World 2020? “Yes, I am excited to travel with her, we are a team, always. Our journey is shared. I want to be there for her. I am so proud of Caroline. Each day she consistently raises the bar. I am truly happy for all her achievements and contributions to the country.”
And what does the couple plan to do post-Mrs.World? “With time, the spotlight and the repute of winning an international title may fade but what remains in the hearts and minds of the people is what we do for our community and the country. The mark we leave is that. We need to do more and work harder to make the place we live in and the lives of the people we are surrounded by, better. With the title comes a lot of responsibility and people look up to you to make a difference in this world. You become a voice for those who do not have one. This is what we hope to do through our nonprofit initiative, the ‘Be You’ project.
We will first implement and perfect its reach and objectives in our home, Sri Lanka. After that, we hope to expand the project worldwide. Spreading kindness and empowering youngsters to be themselves against all odds and social context is our goal. We want to provide children with the necessary resources and support to live up to their full potential.”