Tran Thi Ban Mai crowned Hoa Hậu Hoà Bình Việt Nam 2022

Tran Thi Ban Mai was crowned Hoa Hậu Hoà Bình Việt Nam 2022 (aka Miss Peace Vietnam 2022) during the pageant’s finale in central Da Nang City on September 11, 2022. The native of Ho Chi Minh City surpassed 47 other contestants to earn the crown. She also won the Marine Environment Beauty, Compassionate Beauty and Behavior Beauty awards during this night.

Tran Thi Ban Mai was born in 2000 in Ho Chi Minh City into a family with a tradition of working in the field of law. She is an international communication and public relations student in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. She also works as a professional interpreter, she was even the assistant of Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray when this beauty came to Vietnam. It is also Miss Universe 2018 who advised her to try a beauty contest.

During the pageant, Ban Mai shared: “To be able to briefly introduce myself, I would like to be allowed to use 3 numbers: 5, 10, 12. The number 5 symbolizes the age at which I discovered I had suffered from dyslexia and malnutrition. It took me 3 months to memorize the alphabet and recognize letters, as well as weigh only 35kg when I finished 5th grade despite being 1m60 tall. Number 10 is the age I started playing sports and won my first prize, a bronze medal in volleyball. Finally, 12 is the number of years I have achieved good students and been in the top 12% of honors and excellent students of my university studying in the US. The achievements are not too great, but they are always a source of pride and motivation that reminds me of my efforts and efforts. 

With many physical as well as intellectual difficulties, instead of accepting, I chose perseverance. I think it is determination and willpower that is the key to help me overcome all my barriers, courageously pursue my dreams and achieve what I want. That’s why my view in life has always been: You can only fail when you stop trying,” said Miss Peace Vietnam.

She has been considered a “feminist” since high school. A page shared on the new miss’s Facebook page shows that she took part in the Duc Tri school’s annual movement called Women Leaders. She worked as a study assistant, determined to prepare well for her lessons, needing a head more than a person to be ready to answer difficult questions. She also leads movements such as: mounting flashmob dance competitions, doing mural journalism, acting…

Participating in the Miss Peace Vietnam contest with the message of peace, Ban Mai confessed: “From an early age, my family taught me about the rule of law or the importance of peace, the value of equality and happiness as well as the awareness that violence and war are always acts to be condemned.

The more I grew older, the more I realized that peace is not merely encapsulated in living in a peaceful and war-free society. Peace also needs to come from the family itself, the soul and the thoughts of each person. Verbal violence, domestic violence and social pressure are also invisible weapons that hurt people.“

The new crowned Miss Peace Vietnam said that from March to June 2020 when the Covid-19 epidemic broke out strongly, she had a period of being stuck in the US, having to wait for a relief flight to return to Vietnam. During this time, she had to stay in her room every day, facing 4 walls, not going out or going to school… and she had felt confused, aimless, lost. She gradually becomes suspicious about the future as well as surrounded by negative thoughts.

By chance, in June 2020, she was introduced by a friend to join STEAM for Vietnam, a non-profit organization founded to create free programming courses for Vietnamese children. Working with volunteers of all professions and ages from all over the world (leading technology companies such as Google, Got It, Microsoft …) has helped her learn a lot and motivate herself to develop further.

“In addition, I realized the joy of dedication and creating community values, I understood that no matter who you are, where you come from, what class you are from, you have the desire to contribute to society with your own knowledge and talents. Although I was only able to accompany STEAM for Vietnam for the first 6 months, I was very happy and proud that I was able to contribute a small part of my efforts in the nurturing of young vietnamese bamboo shoots through education. Being exposed to them makes me more optimistic, happy and gradually free from negative emotions.

I think children, or the younger generation are always among the most concerned people today, not only physically, intellectually but also mentally. As a young person, I was fortunate to grow up in a peaceful country, in the love of my family, but I also had my own concerns, complexes and battles within myself.“

“Hired” by the organization ?

At the post-coronation press conference, VietNamNet reporter asked new Miss Peace Vietnam 2022 Tran Thi Ban Mai that on social media there were rumors that she came to the contest initially just to be hired. Accordingly, this information suggests that she has no intention of going to the pageant. The participation in Miss Peace is “hired” by the organizers to take the exam to answer in English.

Very surprised and surprised, Tran Thi Ban Mai shared: “It is true that I was chosen to recite the oath in English. Initially, the organizers agreed to write it down and read it. However then it changed and I had to speak for myself without documentation. Due to the change, I was surprised. Even though I wrote it myself, I was still a little shaky and confused. However, the pageant is something I have been burning in my heart for a long time, I don’t understand why there are such rumors.”

The 2022 Miss Peace Vietnam’s court includes:

1st runner-up –  Nguyen Ngoc Khanh Tien

2nd runner-up – Tran Gia Han