In Her Own Crown – Small talk with Mister Supranational 2019, Nate Crnkovich

A few days away from passing his crown, Mister Supranational 2019 Nate took the time to answer our questions to take stock of his long reign which was marked by the global pandemic. It will also be an opportunity to tell us about his future.

Inside Pageant – A few hours away from surrendering your crown, what is your assessment of your reign?

Although my reign was greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, I am grateful for the experiences I had competing in Mister Supranational. I met many people and made many good friends, as well as was exposed first hand to a multitude of unique cultures. That experience alone made it all worth it. I am also very grateful to have been able to travel to both The Gambia and Brazil during my reign. I did my best to exemplify what it means to be a stand up young man in today’s world and to represent the core values upheld by the Mister Supranational organization. I hope that during my time as reigning Mister Supranational I was able to positively affect lives of men and women around the world.

Inside Pageant – What’s your best memory of your reign?

My greatest memory is by far the mission trip I took to The Gambia. This wasn’t something that was originally on the travel agenda for Mister Supranational, but it was something I was very passionate about and eager to do, and the organization agreed to help with a lot of the costs. During the trip we were able to visit a multitude of impoverished schools and donate both food and school supplies. We also visited a local medical clinic and I was able to learn a lot about the state of healthcare in their country, as well as the specific needs of the clinic. I made some great contacts and made plans to return to assist them in the future.

Inside Pageant – What’s your worst memory of your reign?

My worst memory would probably be during the early days of the pandemic when it quickly became apparent that my reign was not going to go nearly the way I had thought it would. It was definitely disheartening, but I knew it was out of my control and had to accept what I couldn’t change.

Inside Pageant – Tell us about the moment your name was called out as the winner.

I remember the night of the competition making a point to focus on the experience and enjoy it for all it was worth. Although I’m competitive by nature and did my absolute best throughout the competition, I was never focused solely on winning. That said, I definitely recall my heart racing a lot more once it was narrowed down to the top 5, and then soon after the final two. It was exhilarating and very surreal when I heard my country announced as the winner.

Inside Pageant – Soon after your crowning, countries went under lockdown. It was definitely quite a different reign. How was your experience?

Once I realized most of the traveling I was supposed to do with the organization would no longer happen and the outlook on my reign as Mister Supranational was very uncertain, I decided it would be best to focus on my work as an emergency room nurse. The COVID-19 pandemic was an extremely difficult time working in healthcare. There was a lot of fear and uncertainty and at its worst hospitals across the country had limited supplies, nowhere to put the ever growing number of COVID patients, and it was a common practice to have multiple ice trucks to serve as temporary morgues because there was no longer any more space to put dead bodies. Despite the hardships, I love what I do, and I am proud of the work I, and my fellow healthcare workers, did during the pandemic.

Inside Pageant – Which tips will you give to the next Mister Supranational?

I’ve been asked this question a few different times now and my answer is always the same. I would tell the next champion to make sure they enjoy the experience and live in the present, to be themselves and never lose their authenticity, and to cherish the many relationships built throughout your time as Mister Supranational.

Inside Pageant – As a pageant winner, you’ve worked on several projects. Could you brief us about it ?

I had plans to continue charity work in The Gambia and planned to make a return trip before my reign was over, however the pandemic greatly affected these plans. I was able to participate in a couple of local charity events for the homeless population in Los Angeles, and during my time in Brazil was able to participate in the Mister Brazil organization’s charity project to deliver food and supplies to homes in some of the poorer towns surrounding their capitol. I still plan to return to The Gambia in the near future and have been in continuous contact with both the medical clinic and one of the schools we visited.

Inside Pageant – You will stay for all of your life Mister Supranational, an inspiration to a lot of people out there. How does it feel?

I will always cherish this experience and the amazing honor it has been to represent Mister Supranational. I’ve learned a lot and grown as an individual throughout this time and hope to continue to serve as a positive example for young men everywhere.

Inside Pageant – What can we wish you before we leave? Projects?

My hope is that I will be able to organize at least one last charity trip to The Gambia with the help of the Mister Supranational organization. The time I spent there made a lasting impression on me, and I feel there is still so much good that I, and others, can do there.

Thanks for your time Nate and we will closely follow your charity work in The Gambia.