A few minutes after her coronation, Angélique Angarni-Filopon admitted not realizing what had just happened and still having difficulty responding to the name of Miss France. Cindy Fabre, director of the competition, even had to use a funny technique to make him aware: “She said to me: 'Pinch me to see if I'm dreaming.' So I pinched her. The objective is to refocus it so that it doesn’t escape at that moment.”
Once the astonishment passed, joy was able to take over in the first Miss Martinique crowned Miss France. “I feel a lot of pride, it’s not something I feel every day. We tend to think that the older we get, the more confident we are, but this is not always the case. There, I'm very proud of myself, I'm not afraid to say it”, she explained on RTL.
Angélique Angarni-Filopon’s journey has also been relatively winding and far from these spheres: “I was very little until fifth grade and I had front teeth so people called me 'My little pony'. When I moved to sixth grade, I gained 30 centimeters in one year, I went from 1.47m to 1.77m. It probably earned me a little bit of mockery and difficulty.” His family has always been at the forefront of witnessing his development. “We've seen her progress, she's been working for more than a decade for this, today is the apotheosis,” her dad, Jean-Pierre, told RTL.
“It’s never too late, I’m living proof”
After a first failure in 2011, she did not throw in the towel: “We must not give up. Sometimes, when it seems like the end of the road is still far away, all it takes is a little patience, perseverance, courage and then, off we go!” While she wanted to try the adventure again last year, her “professional conscience” forced her to postpone the deadline for a year. A blessing in disguise as she becomes, at 34, the oldest Miss France in history. “She showed the whole of France that there are no limits, despite her age she is on the roof of France”, underlined Jessica, her big sister.
While her family describes her as “persistent, determined and extremely funny”Angélique Angarni-Filopon intends to fight several battles at the same time thanks to her new status. The one who had “already been elected to Cergy-Pontoise at the age of 16”, according to her father, intends in particular to fight against breast cancer, an illness suffered by her mother, Viviane. “It warms my heart,” says the latter.
The new Miss France also wants to speak for certain women. “Since I was elected Miss Martinique, you would be surprised at the number of messages I receive from women who want to change their career, who think it is too late to change jobs, lives, countries. If I can be the spokesperson, not only on age, for these women who have projects, voices, who are absolutely incredible. It’s never too late, I’m living proof.” Her father confirms: “She said it: there is no expiration date for a woman, I liked it, it’s important. At any age, you can try and do things.” A slight nail mark on the arm to regain her senses and the crown firmly placed on her head, Angélique Angarni-Filopon asks for one thing as a priority: “Happiness, full of smiles, full of joy, continuous beautiful energy. ”
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