Barbara Doton was surprised at being crowned the Vodafone Ba Carnival queen and Miss Charity on Saturday night.Ms Doton, 20, a law student with the University of Huddersfield, in the United Kingdom, walked away a double winner, saying that she did not expect it at all.
"I live here in Ba and I am studying online," she said.
Ms Doton, a daughter of dentist, Dr Maria Doton, said she was the last contestant to enter the carnival.
Sponsored by 4R Electrical, Ms Doton said she entered the pageant a week before the carnival, hoping to have fun. "This was obvious during the carnival," she said.
She said being a bookworm, a weeklong carnival was a break from reading her law books.
Ms Doton has spent the past 16 years in Ba.
"I am originally from the Philippines, but I was born in Suva," she said. "We moved to Nadi and now live permanently in Ba."
She said although she had never taken part in such a contest, she believed her exposure to places like Suva and New Zealand had helped.
"I spent a year doing Foundation at the Central Queensland University in Suva before moving to New Zealand where I lived for a year."
Ms Doton said she was glad to take part and give something back to the community.
Organising committee chairman Rishi Kumar said the carnival to raise money for the Ba soccer team was a success but he could not reveal how much Ms Doton or the carnival had raised.
Adapted from Fijitimes Online
