On the evening of November 25, beauty queen Mai Ngo (Ngo Thi Quynh Mai) hosted a heartfelt send-off event in Ho Chi Minh City ahead of her departure for the Miss Charm 2025 international pageant, marking a significant milestone in her 10-year journey through the world of beauty contests.

"It took 20 years to become the Mai Ngo of today"

In an emotional speech, the 1995-born beauty reflected on her long path to self-discovery and confidence.

"It took me 20 years of practice, honing, and growth. This journey has been anything but easy. I wandered through the modeling world for 14 years, and after 10 years in beauty pageants, I finally became a Mai Ngo who is capable, steady, and standing here today," she shared.

Mai Ngo admitted that no glory ever came easily to her.

Every failure, every criticism left a mark  -  but also became a lesson, a source of strength that helped her persevere.

She expressed deep gratitude for the unwavering support of those who stood by her throughout her journey  -  mentors, peers, and juniors who encouraged her when she stumbled.

She especially thanked those who gave her the opportunity to represent the resilient, strong, proud, and compassionate women of Vietnam.

"I promise this time I’ll carry the love from the audience and the unwavering spirit of the Central Vietnamese people with me, and give it my all in this competition," Mai Ngo said through tears.

Prepared since early 2025

Mai Ngo revealed that she began preparing for Miss Charm from early 2025, with the aim of concluding her decade-long pageant journey with purpose and completeness.

Her opportunity to join the pageant came unexpectedly  -  a result of a personal invitation from Ms. Thuy Nga, who persuaded her to participate.

In her preparations, Mai Ngo has trained intensively in physical fitness, studied English, and invested in her personal branding to best represent the beauty of Vietnamese culture.

She will present four introduction videos, including a meticulously crafted self-introduction clip.

Remarkably, her team used only an iPhone to shoot all content in line with modern trends  -  saving costs while maintaining a professional standard.

Mai Ngo chose to spotlight the cultural and historical beauty of Hanoi and the Vietnamese people.

Instead of popular dishes like pho or bun, she selected egg coffee as her favorite Vietnamese delicacy.

"Vietnam is known for coffee exports, yet many Vietnamese have never tried egg coffee. I hope this video introduces this unique beverage to both local and international audiences," she explained.

As for intangible heritage, she picked water puppetry  -  a traditional art form that remains underappreciated and understudied, even among Vietnamese.

She views this as a prime opportunity to showcase Vietnam’s artistic diversity, storytelling, and the urgent need to preserve the dwindling number of water puppet artists.

Total dedication

Mai Ngo spent an entire month preparing the videos, sacrificing sleep and investing both financially and emotionally.

She poured her heart into the production and script, and when her efforts received praise, she was moved to tears.

"I felt reassured and truly ready to compete," she said.

PV