Asia Rose Simpson spotlights sports, dance for youth mental health in Miss World advocacy video

Asia Rose Simpson is highlighting the role of sports and dance in supporting youth mental health through her Beauty with a Purpose project for Miss World 2026.

In her video, the Philippine bet introduced her Sports and Dance Initiative, SÊD, which aims to promote the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of young people by using activities they already have access to.

She shared that her experience with dance, which she started as a child, helped her find an outlet for creativity, expression, and emotion.

Asia said sports and dance can also provide young people with a sense of belonging and confidence, particularly those who may be struggling with their mental health.

“Dance is a universal language. It speaks without using words. Expression, emotion, and movement don't need a translator. It's a language all in itself, understood by everyone who lays eyes on it or moves because of it,” she said.

Asia also highlighted how SÊD has grown through free dance workshops, pickleball outreaches, scholarships, and partnerships, including efforts to work with the Philippine Department of Education on a curriculum connecting mental health with sports and dance.

“What makes this advocacy sustainable is its simplicity. It doesn't require expensive equipment or materials or even complex systems. It uses what communities already have: people, spaces, and shared experience,” Asia said.

Through SÊD, she said she has reached more than 10,000 students in the Philippines and abroad, emphasizing that small efforts to support young people today can help shape healthier generations in the future.

Asia is vying for the Philippines’ second Miss World crown after Megan Young in 2013.

The coronation night will be held on September 9 in Vietnam, with Opal Suchata Chuangsri of Thailand passing her crown to the winner. —Carby Rose Basina/JCB, GMA News