Burnaby’s Keyena Kler has a simple message for people who are hurting right now, especially while mired in the COVID-19 pandemic.
Love yourself.
It’s that message that she’s spreading during her time as Miss Teen Canada 2020, although she’s doing it mostly through social media due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Kler, who is 19, a graduate of Burnaby Central Secondary and a second-year student studying food, nutrition and health at UBC, has been Miss Teen Canada since March 7, when she captured the title during an even in Laval, Que.
What she expected was a year of travelling to events and fundraisers, but then the lockdown happened and so she’s been filming self-love videos to share on social media.
The competition, however, has still managed to give her some great memories.
“The competition was truly a magical experience,” Kler said. “This was my very first pageant, so I didn’t know what to expect. Pageants tend to have a bit of a reputation for being centered around a woman’s looks; however, the main attribute the Miss Canada and Miss Teen Canada organization focuses on is personality. I was completely inspired by each contestant and their personal stories. I made many friends all over the country and was surprised how close I got to the other girls in such a short period of time. I still talk to many of the girls regularly.”
Kler is also an advocate for living a balanced, healthy life: this includes nutrition, exercise and of mental health.
To learn more about her message, check out Kler’s social media accounts @keyenakler and @selfcarewkeyena.
Miss Teen Canada 2020 from Miss Canada on Vimeo.
