Local teen brings home three pageant awards

Trinity Engelbrecht, a 15-year-old Grade 9 pupil from Port Alfred High School, has made her community proud by being selected as a finalist in the Miss Teen Icon Internationals pageant held at the Victory Theatre in Johannesburg on Saturday, March 15, 2025. Accompanied by her coach, Natasha Grifo, Trinity brought home not one, but three prestigious crowns:
1. Miss Teen Icon from the Eastern Cape
2. Ambassador for Miss Teen Icon International 2025
3. Second Runner-Up Interviewed Girl. 

Trinity shared her journey with Talk of the town, “I wanted to try something out of my comfort zone and challenge myself to be in front of many people on stage,” she said, explaining what motivated her to participate in the pageant. Trinity credited her coach, Natasha Grifo, for helping her prepare for the competition. She trained three times a week, and her biggest challenge was overcoming her anxiety. “I couldn’t believe it and was definitely overwhelmed with excitement” when she made it to the finals, Trinity said. 

When asked about her plans and aspirations, Trinity revealed, “I can’t wait for my next pageant, and I will work harder and put more effort to be able to go to the next level of competing overseas.” 

Trinity’s mother, Tamryn Taylor, was beaming with pride throughout the experience. “When I saw my daughter go on stage, I thought to myself of how far my young lady has come. Her journey so far has been incredible,” she said, describing her emotions. Tamryn recalled feeling overwhelmed with mixed emotions of pride, joy, and relief when Trinity was announced as a finalist. “It was like a wave of happiness washed over me. Seeing her hard work and dedication pay off made me tear up.” 

As a mom, Tamryn’s proudest moment was watching Trinity achieve something she believed she couldn’t. When asked about the most chaotic or stressful moment during pageant prep, Tamryn laughed, “Making sure that she has everything she needed!” To balance school and pageant responsibilities, Tamryn worked closely with the school to ensure Trinity’s arrangements were in place before leaving for the pageant.

• This article was first published in Talk of the Town, March 20, 2025. The newspaper serving the communities of Ndlambe and the Sunshine Coast, with a weekly wrap of Makhanda news, is available at stores from early on Thursdays.