Lymaraina D"Souza is a former Indian model who won the Femina Miss India Universe title in the year 1998. She went on to represent India at the Miss Universe 1998 pageant in Hawaii, United States (US), finishing amongst the top 10 finalists.

Early Life and Education of Lymaraina D"Souza
Born in 1979 in Mumbai, Maharashtra, Lymaraina D"Souza completed her schooling at Fort Convent School in Mumbai and later pursued graduation in Commerce from the Sydenham College of Commerce and Economics.

After contesting in the Miss Universe 1998 beauty pageant and finishing in the Top 10, Lymaraina D"Souza went to Hawaii Pacific University in the US, and completed a degree in Psychology and Travel & Tourism in 2002, after getting a fully-paid scholarship. She aspired to become a child psychologist.

Modelling Career of Lymaraina D"Souza
Lymaraina D"Souza had been just another college-going 19-year-old who had never put on any make-up, had a laidback attitude and claimed to "eat like a horse", until January 24, 1998 when she was crowned the Femina Miss India Universe crown by outgoing titleholder Nafisa Joseph, and got catapulted to the limelight. Lee, as she likes to be called, was very confident of herself and her goals and did not give up until she achieved them.

D"Souza was in control all through the beauty pageant, which was also reflected in her spontaneous and confident answers. Also having had always been a talkative girl and someone beside whom the shyest girls were made to sit by the teachers at school, her answers made her win the judges" votes and the audience"s hearts. When asked by actress Madhuri Dixit as how would she rate her priorities in life - would her country, family or her goals come first, she replied, "Life is about striking the right balance between patriotism, goals and family. You need a blend of loyalty to the country, goals that keep you looking forward to something, and the family, without which the first two would have no meaning." And to Cindy Crawford`s final question on how seriously life should be taken, Lymaraina answered, "Life is a journey made of small moments. It`s important to be serious about your goals but, at the same time, it`s important to have fun. Because at the end of the day, when you look back, you should go to bed with a smile on your face."

Lymaraina D"Souza"s answers had come so quick that one had to ask if she had prepared for the same, to which she said that she only wanted her answers to be spontaneous and straight from the heart. It all worked in her favour as she clinched the Miss India Universe 1998 title. She later represented India at the Miss Universe 1998 beauty pageant, held on May 12, 1998 at Stan Sheriff Arena in Honolulu, Hawaii, US. She was positioned among the Top-10 finalists, and was ranked 2nd in Interview round, 9th in Swimsuit round and 8th in Evening Gown round.

What was bewildering to know is that Lymaraina D"Souza didn"t want to win the Miss Universe crown. Her entry into the Miss India Universe pageant also had a peculiar story behind it. D"Souza wanted to meet a close friend of hers who had shifted to the US, and had thought that winning the contest would make that possible. She also wanted to study in the US, and though her parents had always been supportive, she wanted to finance her own education. When in Hawaii at the Miss Universe contest, winning did not hold any importance to her. She wanted to study further and thought life after the crown was a one big party, with unearthly work hours and gossiping within the industry which she did not approve of. She put, "This title (Miss India Universe) won`t change me. I can say that with complete confidence as I realise that fame, money and glamour are all temporary and I intend to enjoy it all while it lasts." She took an exit from the limelight and the glamour world, stating "Miss India is my first and last attempt at modelling." Unlike others of her domain, she did not even make a move towards Bollywood.

Personal Life of Lymaraina D"Souza
Lymaraina D"Souza"s hobbies included writing and poetry, about "self-awareness, forgiveness, self-love". She is also an avid reader. Her other passions include music and cooking. She is fluent in English, French, Hindi and Marathi languages.

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