Chanel Olive Thomas was living her prime years when she won the Miss Supranational Philippines 2017 title at the Binibining Pilipinas 2017 pageant.
A year after her reign, the Queenslander Fil-Aussie beauty queen settled in Melbourne to live a simple life and pursue her life goals.
As her life plans started to unfold, she later on finds herself in the middle of a pandemic.
“It’s been three years in Australia. It's been an adventure. Spending time in lockdown has been crazy but definitely I have grown,” she says.
Binibining Pilipinas 2017 winners Source: Binibining Pilipinas
Choosing joy
Ms Thomas shares that she’s always been the person who loves to grow no matter what her circumstances are.
“I try not to base my feelings on my circumstance but choose my feelings towards my circumstance. I try to see this situation as a chance to grow. A chance to refocus on what’s important. Focusing on my family and friends, and having goals and feeling that I’m progressing no matter what.”
She adds that while it was not easy to be in lockdown, she made a decision to choose joy instead.
“I refuse to spend the entire lockdown unhappy. I want to find joy no matter what and try to be grateful over the little things that [I] can find every day. It doesn’t mean it’s been easy. I did hit my lockdown fatigue because I thought, is this ever going to end. I just made that decision to enjoy my life, Im not going to allow this to define my future.”
Chanel Olive Thomas Source: Chanel Olive Thomas
Choosing to progress in the midst of lockdown
The 30-year-old beauty queen shares that prior to the pandemic, she was always seen with her friends and an active church member whilst pursuing her studies.
“Since coming to Australia I studied ministry, acting, and presenting. I think I was always active with my studies and my social life, and my focus was growing in community.”
While there are tough restrictions implemented due to COVID-19, she says she is still choosing to progress and pursue her goals even if it means doing them at home.
“With lockdown, it hasn’t really changed like I’m still studying. Now, I’m studying counselling which I absolutely love. In terms of community, that hasn’t lessened, that’s only grown.
She adds that she is taking the lockdown as an opportunity to widen her community.
“What I’ve realised in lockdown there’s no excuse to connect to anyone in the world anymore we all have access. Before lockdown, we were always caught up on who’s in the area.”
Chanel Olive Thomas Source: Binibining Pilipinas.com
A different mindset
Ms Thomas admits that she is a career driven woman, but the lockdown made her reevaluate her life and now chooses to enjoy the little things.
"I’m career driven, ambitious and always focusing on bigger things but lockdown caused me to be still. It made me reevaluate what are the things in my life right now that makes me happy like enjoying my friendships, going for walks, and getting sunshine."
She encourages those who are going through tough times this lockdown to keep moving forward.
"It's okay not to feel okay and to have those days when you’re not feeling great. It’s important to acknowledge it. It's important to have those moments of rest but pick yourself up and keep moving forward."
She believes that a positive mindset is key to finding joy.
“The pandemic is only temporary and that's the mindset I have. Just choosing my peace and fighting for my joy everyday has been secret towards finding joy no matter what in the pandemic.”
