Anna Bonino: “In my blog I break stereotypes”
June 4, 2023
Anastasia Bogushevskaya: “I’m a self-made fashion model with the biggest passion for my work”
June 4, 2023
The story of Canadian beauty queen Krissy Larsen-Ratzlaff is incredibly inspiring. The path to pageant titles, beauty business and body positivity ran through disliking her own body. Krissy is sure that you need to fall in love with yourself to trigger positive changes in your life. And she enjoys sharing her experience with others. She is currently working on an ambitious project, Style me Whole, which will help women around the world to accept themselves and highlight their individual beauty
You are a role model for many girls, you hold the titles of prestigious beauty contests. Could you tell us, what victory was the most valuable and memorable for you? What did you have to overcome and what did you feel at the moment of triumph? What motivates you to win competitions and become better every day?
Winning the title of Mrs. Curve’ Globe 2022 for my country (Canada) and my community was the greatest achievement in my pageant journey. There are so many beautiful, incredible women competing next to you, but it has always felt more like a sisterhood than a competition. The motivation to make an impact on young girls and women is what keeps me going on this journey. My only goal is to inspire women to dream and explore their femininity and beauty and embrace their bodies and their beauty at any age or size.
Tell us how fate brought you and your husband together. After all, it seems that you are from different worlds: a princess from the world of beauty and fashion, the owner of a boutique and a line of skincare, and someone working in agriculture. What unites you and makes your bond strong and lasting?
My husband and I had known each other for over 10 years before we went on our first date. I was raised in a small farming community just neighboring his. I was also raised on a farm and have farming in my roots, so marrying the handsome farmer next door just felt like coming home. We have a beautiful life full of adventure and passion and truly embrace our time together. We both have a love for travel, and farming allows us the downtime in the winter to explore the globe together and with our children. Tim is also a very pretty farmer and is truly my biggest fan. I want women to know that you don’t have to be just one thing. You can be a beauty queen and a farmer. You can love nature and glam at the same time. You can be a mother and an entrepreneur. You are allowed to live outside the box and create a life you love.
Did you cultivate self-discipline from childhood? How do you cope with all your endeavors and responsibilities: helping your husband, running a business, and self-development? Where do you draw strength and inspiration? What gives you energy?
I was raised by very hard-working driven parents. From a young age, I knew I was destined for a unique fabulous life, and I was always encouraged to take a chance on myself and dream big. I knew after I caught the travel bug that I would never feel fulfilled working a typical job with a lot of structure. I have learned to find balance in my work and family life through personal development courses and training and really taking the time to get clear about the priorities in my life. I try to live in joy, and that can only be done when you are working from a place of passion. I have done so much personal work through The Reclaiming Me classes offered through the W.I.N. Foundation. I live by the rule of «God first, family second, career third». Everything falls into place when you keep these priorities front of mind.
When did you start supporting the body positivity trend? Was there someone whose opinion made you reevaluate your views? What is the most important thing a woman should know to finally accept herself and fall in love with her body?
I have not always been body positive. I spent the first 30 years of my life hating my body. But one day, I came to the realization that when you hate something, you have no interest in taking care of it. That’s when I realized that I would never be able to hate myself into loving myself.
I would have to first fall in love with myself if I ever wanted to care for and make the changes, I knew I needed to make. Both emotionally and physically. I want women to realize that their bodies are a gift, their bodies are their temples, their bodies carry them through babies and grief, and loss, and trauma. Their bodies are allowed to change. Women also need to realize that their worth is in no way tied to their bodies, their size, or their weight. Women are incredible, beautiful gifts from God and their bodies are part of that gift.
Your achievements are almost unbelievable. But I have no doubt that you’ve already set new goals. What are you striving for now? How do you see your near future? Where do you see yourself in five years?
My focus right now and always is to make a positive impact in the lives of women. I am working on a new project called «Style me Whole» that will help women truly discover their beauty, both inner and outer. I hope to launch this project early next year, and I know it will help women around the globe to become more confident and to discover a newfound peace within themselves while looking fabulous!