Miss New Zealand finalist Kalani Henry (right) with her mum Jennifer White at charity function in Hangatiki on Saturday. Photo: Dan Tasker
Miss New Zealand finalist Kalani Henry returned to her Ōtorohanga roots on Saturday to host a charity event in Hangatiki.
The 20-year-old hosted the ‘Pink For Purpose’ fundraiser supporting anti-bullying and mental health awareness at Hangatiki’s Caves Motor Inn, as she builds towards the Miss NZ finals night on June 6 at the Bruce Mason Centre in Auckland.
The event attracted a crowd of 85 people, many who had been part of Henry’s life before she moved to Napier, where she now works as a beauty therapist.
“I’m not going to lie, I was very nervous – still very nervous – to be speaking in front of all you people who I know so well,” Henry said.
“Thank you so much for being out here tonight. I truly appreciate it and just a huge thanks to everyone again,” she said.
Bullying directly impacted Henry growing up and was initially provoked because of a hair loss condition called alopecia areata which she had from a young age.
Because of this, Henry wanted to use her platform as a Miss NZ finalist to promote treating people with love and kindness.
“In high school, I struggled with a lot of self-esteem and how I saw myself. Alongside that, I also experienced bullying; it has had a lasting pain on my mental health and confidence. But as I got older in late high school, I began to realise how powerful kindness can be,” Henry said.
“I’m using my voice to remind young people they are worthy of respect, kindness, safety and acceptance. Nobody should ever feel like they have to go through these things in silence,” she said.
Henry’s dance teacher of 11 years, Mel O’Brien, spoke of how Henry lived a life opposite to bullying and had become an advocate for treating people with respect.
“You don’t even need a microphone to be an ambassador for that and to be able to get that word out there because you show that with your life. You show that with the way you treat other people and you always have,” O’Brien said.
“There were times where we had to encourage Kalani to lift her head higher because she needed to have more confidence and believe in herself more, so it’s really cool to be able to see you standing up here now Kalani having confidence in believing in yourself.
“We’re all backing you and we hope that you enjoy your journey and whether you win or not, you’re a winner to all of us,” she said.
Henry’s interest in beauty pageants started in 2023, but because she was still studying, she only decided to take the plunge into Miss NZ this year.
The journey began in December when candidates went through a screening process, which included candidates showing how well they walked in heels.
From there, finalists were chosen and put through their paces at several pageant bootcamps in January to prepare them for the main event in June.
“We had training in our heels; it may just seem like walking in heels, but there’s a lot more to it. There’s actually a pageant code book, so we do all the poses and the walking. Also they put us into some confidence speaking training as well, so they try and build you up as a person,” Henry said.
Between now and finals night, Henry is busy running charity events like the ‘Pink For Purpose’ fundraiser as well as school visits, not to mention shooting a tourism video promoting the Waitomo Caves while she was back home.
The June 6 final will see the 10 finalists compete in a number of events including a runway, swimsuit and talent round, where Henry plans to perform a contemporary dance.
Miss New Zealand finalist Kalani Henry (right) with her mum Jennifer White at charity function in Hangatiki on Saturday. Photo: Dan Tasker
