Athenea Pérez Nsué is a Spanish beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Universe Spain 2023. She represented her country at

Miss Universe 2023 Miss Universe 2023 was the 72nd Miss Universe pageant, held at the Gimnasio Nacional José Adolfo Pineda in San Salvador, El Salvador, on 18 November 2023. At the conclusion of the event, Sheynnis Palacios of Nicaragua was crowned as Miss U ...

and finished in the Top 10 semifinalist.

Early life

Family background

Pérez was born to a Spanish father and an Equatorial Guinean mother. She is of

Fang A fang is a long, pointed tooth. In mammals, a fang is a modified maxillary tooth, used for biting and tearing flesh. In snakes, it is a specialized tooth that is associated with a venom gland (see snake venom). Spiders also have external fangs, ...

and

Bubi Bubi may refer to: * Bubi people, an ethnic group in Central Africa * Bubi language, a Bantu language spoken in Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea * Bubi District, Zimbabwe * Bubi River, a tributary of the Limpopo River in Zimbabwe * BuBi, a bicy ...

descent on her maternal side. At the age of 4, she began practicing

rhythmic gymnastics Rhythmic gymnastics is a sport in which gymnasts perform individually or in groups on a floor with an apparatus: hoop (rhythmic gymnastics), hoop, ball (rhythmic gymnastics), ball, Clubs (rhythmic gymnastics), clubs, ribbon (rhythmic gymnastics), ...

. Regarding her mixed race, Pérez has stated, "as for something public, I think it's the first time I've been attacked because of my skin color. And I think it's not because they didn't want to attack me before, but that the reason is in social media. They are part of our daily lives and before, they simply existed, but they were a complement and not an extension of us. Now it's easier to give your opinion and hide your hand." As an Equatorial Guinean descent on her mother's side and Muline's on her father's side, Pérez will be the first representative of racialized Spain, which led her to face some racist insults on social networks. "I'm very sad. I was shocked. I've lived here all my life. I was born here. I'm from

Churra The Churra is an Iberian type, list of sheep breeds, breed or group of breeds of sheep. The word simply means 'coarse-woolled'. The Churra originates in the Duero Valley in the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castile ...

and half muleña because of my father. It strikes me that this is happening in a society with so many cultures, which for me means wealth. I love my city and I'm proud to be from Murcia," she after being crowned Miss Universe Spain''.''

Education

Pérez graduated in Marketing and Advertising.

Pageantry

Pérez first participated in the Miss World Spain competition when she was 17and was unplaced. On 2 July 2023, she wrote: Her victory makes her the eleventh representative of Miss Universe Spain in the history of the pageant, the only Spanish winner in 1974,

Amparo Muñoz Maria de Amparo Muñoz y Quesada (21 June 1954 – 27 February 2011) was a Spanish actress, model and beauty queen who won the Miss Universe 1974 competition in Manila, Philippines, being the first and only Spaniard Miss Universe titleholder to ...

, and Carla Barber.

Miss Universe 2023

Pérez represented Spain at Miss Universe 2023, held in El Salvador, on 18 November 2023. Pérez reached the top 10, and won the Miss Congeniality award . Pérez became the first woman of black descent to represent the Spain at

Miss Universe Miss Universe is an annual international major beauty pageant that is run by a Thailand and Mexican-based Miss Universe Organization.Natalie Tadena (July 2, 2015"Donald Trump's Miss USA Pageant Lands on Reelz Cable Channel". ''The Wall Stree ...

References

Spanish beauty pageant winners Living people Miss Universe 2023 contestants People from Murcia Spanish people of Equatoguinean descent Spanish people of Bubi descent Year of birth missing (living people) {{pageant-bio-stub