Sumudu Abeysekara’s stunning beauty has won for her triple crowns in Sri Lanka’s beauty arena. She was Miss Perfect 2010, Miss Sri Lanka for Miss Wold 2012 and Mrs. Sri Lanka for Mrs. World in 2018. She becomes the second Sri Lankan beauty to carry away both Miss Sri Lanka for Miss World and Mrs. Sri Lanka for Mrs World. The first beauty to win both these titles was Rosy Senanayake.
Sumudu also competed in the Miss Sri Lanka for Miss World in 2010. This was her debut in the World of Beauty Pageants. She was a young lass without any experience when she entered the contest but in a remarkable feat for a novice to beauty contests, she carried away the mini pageant titles of Miss Congeniality and Miss Beautiful Hair.
It was by accident that Sumudu entered this pageant, the Miss Sri Lanka for Miss. World 2010. A well known beautician was holding a beauty and bridal show in Sumudu’s home town of Kurunegala and she went to see it. Her lovely looks and lustrous hair soon caught the beautician’s experienced eye and she chose Sumudu as a model. The young beauty was transformed into a ‘dream bride’. Several days later the beautician brought Sumudu as a model for a TV program on Swarnavahini. Narmada Yapa the presenter of Beauty Pageants saw Sumudu and helped her to enter the pageant while many people also encouraged Sumudu to apply for it. Her National Costume was based on Sri Lanka’s national flower, the nil manel.
Sumudu also won the Miss Perfect title in 2010 carrying away the mini pageant titles of Miss Best Hair and Miss Best Figure. It was here that Cupid decided to shoot his arrows into Sumudu’s and husband Mithila’s heart. As a competitor in the Mr. Perfect Pageant Mithila had to partner Sumudu and Cupid decided to take a hand in their future.
Sumudu then made a tremendous mark in the Sri Lankan World of Beauty by winning the Miss. Sri Lanka for Miss. World 2012. Not only did she carry off the coveted title but won four mini pageants. They were Miss. Beautiful hair, Miss. Best Figure, National Costume and Best Jeweler Model.
Soon, she was winging her way to Ordos, China to participate in the Miss. World 2012 contest. The number of competing nations was 127. And, Sumudu did Sri Lanka proud. She was ranked among the Top Twenty in the Top Model contest and was asked to perform four times wearing her beautiful Sandakada Pahana national costume. The costume was designed by Venuka Yasasri.
Sumudu’s next conquest in the world of Sri Lankan beauty was to win the Mrs. Sri Lanka for Mirs. World 2018 contest. She also won the mini pageant titles of Miss. Beautiful Hair, Miss. Best Figure , National Costume , Best Catwalk and Most Popular contest. Her National Costume was based on Sri Lanka’s national bird the Ceylon jungle fowl (Sri Lankan jungle fowl). This beautiful and unusual costume too was designed by Venuka Yasasri. However, Sumudu wore an adaptation of the costume in Las Vegas as the complete costume could not be taken as it was very large.
Sumudu’s grit and determination came to the fore when preparing for the Mrs. Sri Lanka contest. Her figure had undergone changes due to childbirth. So, she had to put in a grueling one and a half months of exercise, workouts and diet to get back her perfect figure. But she did it!
The Mrs. World Pageant was held in Las vegas, USA.
Asked about her impressions and experiences at the Miss. World and Mrs. World Pageants she said that the Miss. World Pageant was held on a far grander scale than the Mrs. World Pageant. A 127 countries participated and the camera crew alone numbered 400. The Mrs. World Contest had only 32 countries participating and had one cameraman and one photographer covering the event. The facilities for the contestants too had been much better at the Miss. World Contest.
Sumudu Abeysekera (nee Wijesinghe) hails from Dodangaslanda, Kurunegala in the island’s north-western province. Ever a tomboy as a child and a young girl beauty was the last thing on her mind. Her interest and focus was on sports, her events being the discus throw and high jump. She made good progress and seemed set for a bright future when tragedy struck. She met with an accident and the injuries she sustained put paid to her career in sports. She had also won a scholarship to the well reputed Maliyadeva College in Kurunegala but this too could not be due to the accident. The doctors told Sumudu she could never participate in sports and also that motherhood may not be an option for her.
But Sumudu Wijesinghe Abeysekara was not a girl to accept defeat easily. Grit,determination and strength of mind are inherent traits in her personality and she made a laudable comeback from the abyss her life had fallen into. Today, she and Mithila are the proud parents of a toddler son, Akilesh Bonuka.
Sumudu accepts victory and defeat with equanimity. She also analyses her failures to see where she went wrong and strives to correct herself so that she would not repeat the same mistake twice and get hurt in the process whether it is mentally, emotionally or physically.
As a top rung model she is very much in demand but she is very selective about the assignments she chooses.
Sumudu is also an actress and played the female lead, that of Queen Anula in Priyantha Sri Samarakoone’s Maya Ranjani. The cast included veteran actresses and actors such as Maureen Charuni, Janak Premalal and Udayanthi Kulatunge and Menaka Rajapaksa. She also acted in Para Walalu. Again she is very selective in the roles she chooses to play.
Fashion wise, Sumudu favours modesty in her attire but ensures that they are stylish and elegant. For her the crowning glory for a woman is purity and a good character . She is a person who will not sacrifice these for the sake of money and has never run after money.
Sumudu currently conducts training for beauty pageant contestants and models. Her future plans are to expand her business and diversify. Her advice to aspiring models and would be beauty contestants is don’t go after quick popularity or quick money. Do what suits you and above all keep your good name.
Sumudu is very interested in children and child rights.
Sumudu’s biggest support is her husband Mithila and she is very grateful to everyone who has helped her on her road to success.
