Former Miss T&T Miss World Wins Kata Black Belt Competition – A NAN Exclusive

Story and Photos By Hayden Celestin

News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Tues. Oct. 14, 2014: Former Miss Trinidad & Tobago and Miss World 1986, Giselle Laronde, has moved on from beauty queen status to a karate champion.

Laronde, this past weekend, was declared the winner in the Kata Black Belt at the 20th Annual New York Open Traditional Karate Do Championships on Sunday October 12th at the Westchester Community College, in White Plains, New York.

Laronde, 50, won the competition in the adults 35 and over category.

Laronde won the Miss World title as Miss Trinidad & Tobago in London, England, in 1986. In honor of her accomplishment, a BWIA airplane was named after her and stamps with her image were issued. After the 1986 Miss World pageant, she began competing in Shotokan Karate-Do while studying at the University of London.

In 2009, Laronde placed fourth in the 10th Shotokan Karate-Do International Federation (SKIF) World Championship in Athens, Greece and in November 2012, she won a bronze medal at the 11th SKIF World Championship, in Sydney, Australia.