‘Smile and shine’: Pinay named 2017 Fitness Universe champion

Filipinas continue to storm the world's stages—and this time, it's a fitness enthusiast who has emerged at the top.

According to a report by Nelson Canlas on 24 Oras, fitness model Loujen Saldo arrived in Miami Beach, Florida on her own steam to compete in the Fitness Universe Championships, and did not expect she was going to even be noticed among the other competitors.

But she did get noticed—and won two titles: 2017 Fitness Universe Champion and Ms. Bikini Short Class.

"Alam nilang lahat na wala akong experience, wala akong ideya kung anong gagawin ko doon," she said in the report.

Saldo drew on past hardships to power her through the competition—and it didn't hurt that she was determined to enjoy herself no matter the outcome.

"Kahit hindi man manalao, basta nag-enjoy ako," she said. "Kasi 'yun din ang nasa isip ko: pupunta ako dito hindi para sa prize."

On its Instagram page, the competition also quoted Saldo as saying that she never expected to win.

"Since I was still on the jet lag, I knew it would be hard for me to do things, especially since the time here and in the Philippines is very different, it was hard to adapt to it," she said.

 

A post shared by Fitness Universe™ (@fitnessuniversetour) on

Jul 6, 2017 at 11:21am PDT

"I just stayed strong and believed to myself that no matter what happened, I would showcase what I have. I never stopped praying and had a strong faith that I knew I could do this, and I would make it. Smile and shine. I'm so happy and blessed that in my first ever big international competition I won both categories. I feel how blessed I am with my family, friends and people who surrounding me. Despite all the challenges that I have been through I won. I'm blessed and happy." — BM, GMA News