A face in the Crowd new guest,Anjali Balwal – an inspiration to anyone who’s ever doubted themselves! 💫 She told Tarana that her mission is to motivate every person who’s paused their dreams to believe again — because you can still do it! Representing New Zealand, Anjali was crowned 1st Runner-Up at Mrs India Worldwide in the Australia/NZ zone, a prestigious pageant by Hautmonde now in its 14th year. Held in Dubai from June 15–22, the contest featured 100 finalists selected from thousands of global applicants of Indian origin. Born in Jammu & Kashmir, Anjali grew up in Chandigarh (DAV College) and later moved to New Zealand to pursue her MBA at the University of Canterbury. She worked as a business manager before settling in Auckland, where she owned the fine-dining restaurant Wine Chambers on Shortland Street. There, she had the honour of hosting Helen Clark, Jacinda Ardern, and many other notable guests. Sadly, her business was impacted by COVID, but life had other plans. During a trip to India, a friend encouraged her to enter the pageant. Despite coming from a traditional Rajput family, her supportive husband stood by her, helping her take the leap. To her surprise, she was selected! After some ramp walk training, she flew to Dubai, where she was mentored by Lubna Adam and Kavita Kamble, and learned the art of stage presence. Along with 1st Runner-Up, she also bagged the Mrs. Iconic Eyes title! 👁️✨ Anjali now receives international opportunities and is focused on balancing her professional life and family, especially being a hands-on mum to her 8-year-old son. Her message is clear: “There’s nothing that can stop you if you truly want to do it.” 🌺 Wishing her all the best in her future endeavours!