Mental health in focus as Miss USA 2019 Cheslie Kryst commits suicide

The world is still gripped by the news of the demise of 30-year-old Cheslie Kryst, who was crowned Miss USA in 2019, becoming the oldest winner of the pageant since its inception in 1952.

Although an investigation is underway, a New York Police Department statement said she died after jumping from her 29th-floor apartment of a Manhattan building on Sunday.

By societal standards, Ms Kryst did not look like she was doing badly. Having obtained three degrees from two universities, the North Carolina native practiced civil litigation for a law firm and worked to help prisoners who may have been sentenced unjustly get reduced punishments, free of charge. She also served as a correspondent for the American newsmagazine Extra from October 2019 until her death. As Miss USA, she represented her country in the 2019 Miss Universe and finished in the top 10.

What could then make a beautiful, elegant, well-read, middle-class lady contemplate suicide let alone act on it?

Perhaps a March 2021 article she wrote for Allure on the occasion of her 30th birthday could help shed some light.

In the article, Kryst said she “cringed a little” at the thought of attaining her new age because of unfair societal expectations.

Explaining further, she wrote, “Sometimes I can successfully mask this uncomfortable response with excitement; other times, my enthusiasm feels hollow, like bad acting. Society has never been kind to those growing old, especially women.(Occasional exceptions are made for some of the rich and a few of the famous.) When I was crowned Miss USA 2019 at 28 years old, I was the oldest woman in history to win the title, a designation even the sparkling $200,000 pearl and diamond Mikimoto crown could barely brighten for some diehard pageant fans who immediately began to petition for the age limit to be lowered.”

Kyrst alluded to working herself “to death” due to the societal pressure to be successful at a young age, calling it the “unquenchable thirst of insecurity”.

“A grinning, crinkly-eyed glance at my achievements thus far makes me giddy about laying the groundwork for more, but turning 30 feels like a cold reminder that I’m running out of time to matter in society’s eyes — and it’s infuriating.

“After a year like 2020, you would think we’d learned that growing old is a treasure and maturity is a gift not everyone gets to enjoy. Far too many of us allow ourselves to be measured by a standard that some sternly refuse to challenge and others simply acquiesce to because fitting in and going with the flow is easier than rowing against the current. I fought this fight before and it’s the battle I’m currently fighting with 30.

“How do I shake society’s unwavering norms when I’m facing the relentless tick of time? It’s the age-old question: What happens when “immovable” meets “unstoppable”?

“To be fair, I didn’t spring from the womb, sword in hand, to fight the good fight and I am certainly not exempting myself from belonging to the go-with-the-flow crowd on occasion. I remember being enamored by “20 under 20” and “30 under 30” lists that tied achievement to youth and called it success — lists that are surely intended to recognize the rarity of accomplishing outstanding feats at a young age. But they had an unfortunate side effect on some young people, who felt encouraged to hoard accomplishments as fast as possible in order to measure up to our peers.

“When I graduated from college and opted to continue my studies at Wake Forest University, I decided I’d earn a law degree and an MBA at the same time. (Why stop at two degrees when you can have three?) I joined a trial team at school and won a national championship. I competed in moot court; won essay competitions; and earned local, regional, and national executive board positions. I nearly worked myself to death, literally, until an eight-day stint in a local hospital sparked the development of a new perspective,” she wrote.

She further deplored online trolls whose actions on many occasions forced her to act against her wish.

“Pageant girls are supposed to be model-tall and slender, don bouffant hair, and have a killer walk. But my five-foot-six frame won with six-pack abs, earned after years of competing in Division I Track and Field, and a head of natural curls in a time when generations of Black women have been taught that being “too Black” would cost them wins in the boardroom and on pageant stages. My challenge of the status quo certainly caught the attention of the trolls, and I can’t tell you how many times I have deleted comments on my social media pages that had vomit emojis and insults telling me I wasn’t pretty enough to be Miss USA or that my muscular build was actually a “man body.”

“And that was just my looks. My opinions, on the other hand, were enough to make a traditional pageant fan clutch their pearls.

“Women who compete in pageants are supposed to have a middle-of-the-road opinion — if any — so as not to offend. I talked candidly about my views on the legalization of marijuana, the Trump Administration’s immigration policies, anti-abortion laws, the confirmation of Justice Amy Coney Barrett, and the successes and failures of criminal justice reform. I openly supported the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement and marched in protests over the summer. I wasn’t searching to collect more awards or recognition during my reign. Rather, I fed the passion that made waking up each morning feel worthwhile: speaking out against injustice.”