Hair color Brown Height 1.76 m | Eye color Brown Parents Orsa Gómez, Freddy Espín | |
Full Name Katherine Elizabeth Espín Gómez Measurements Bust: 89 cm (35.0 in)Waist: 60 cm (23.6 in)Hips: 93 cm (36.6 in) Title(s) Miss Bikini Ecuador 2015Miss Earth Ecuador 2016Miss Earth 2016 Majorcompetition(s) Miss World Ecuador 2013(Miss Talent)Miss Bikini Ecuador 2015(Winner)Miss Bikini Universe 2015(1st Runner-Up)Miss Earth 2016(Winner) Similar | ||
Katherine Elizabeth Espín (born 15 November 1992) is an Ecuadorian model and beauty queen who was appointed as Miss Earth Ecuador 2016. She is best known as the winner of the Miss Earth 2016 pageant, making her the second Miss Earth winner from Ecuador next to Olga Álava who won the crown in 2011.
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Early life and career beginnings
As published in Miss Earth's official website, Espin described her childhood days as the following:
"When I was 9 years old I traveled to United States to study and live with my parents who were working there. I finished elementary and high school in New York City, I lived there for 6 and a half years. During my school years I was able to get many academic achievements such as student of the month, principals honor roll, science fair awards during 4 years, art awards in a competition in New York state. I also had sports awards and among them was track race winner. Due to my parent's occupation I couldn’t spent much time with them so I had to learn to be very independent since I was 11 years old, for example I had to travel by train to go to school by myself, stay home alone and learn how to cook because my parents were always working. All those experiences made me a strong independent woman and I thank my parents for that. It wasn’t easy but we made it possible together as a family. I had an amazing childhood life but lonely for 13 years because I was a single child until my sister was born when I was 13. I had facial paralysis when I was 13 and had to struggle with that for a while during my childhood."
Pageantry
Prior competing in the Miss Earth pageant, Espin was able to represent Ecuador at the Reinado Internacional del Café 2013 where she went unplaced and at Miss Bikini Universe 2015 where she emerged as the first runner up. In addition, she also competed at the Miss World Ecuador 2013 pageant where she did not place.
Miss Earth 2016
Katherine, being appointed Miss Earth Ecuador 2016, flew all the way to the Philippines to compete at Miss Earth 2016 pageant. She competed with 82 other delegates from around the world. During the pre-pageant events, Katherine was able to get a gold medal during the press presentation as part of the "Darling of the Press" award and tied up with the Philippines' bet, Imelda Schweighart. As the pre-pageant activities continued, she was able to garner much more medals: gold medals for resort's wear and long gown competitions; silver medals for the swimsuit competition; bronze medal for the national costume competition. Aside from getting several medals, Espin was able to get an award from various sponsors as well.
As a Miss Earth delegate, the representative should have an environmental advocacy that serves as her focus as part of the pageant's environmental awareness. When Espin was asked what her advocacy is all about, she answered the following:
"My environmental advocacy is environmental education in schools specially in elementary schools. I chose this because I believe that the best age to teach a person to have environmental conscience is at an early age because on their growing years they will learn to have respect towards the environment which will help to the future generations. I truly believe that there should exist on every academic pensum an environmental class and I will work hard on it to make it possible."
At the end of the pageant on 29 October 2015, Katherine was hailed as the winner, besting out 82 other delegates.
Despite the accusation of the Philippine candidate Imelda Schweighart, Espin stated on Filipino media outlets that she denies the accusation that she had cosmetic surgery to her face, along with stealing the golden evening gown she wore at the coronation night, a defense also supported by the Filipino designer of the gown.