By Aditi Shivaramakrishnan, newsroom intern

HAVING won several beauty pageant titles, Colleen Francisca-Maison was all prepared to hang up her sashes and crowns.

That was two years ago.

Now, she's glad she didn't listen to herself.

On 29 Jun, the 26-year-old was crowned first runner-up at the Mrs World 2008 pageant in Kaliningrad, Russia.

Mrs Ukraine Natalia Shmarenkova clinched the top position among more than 30 contestants.

Colleen spoke to The New Paper at her home on Saturday, just three days after returning to Singapore.

Of her decision to quit the pageant scene, she said: 'Back then, I thought, what else can you do after Miss World?'

But it was her vast experience - nine pageants and six titles, including The New Paper New Face 2001 runner-up and Miss Singapore World 2006 - that did it.

And a call from an old friend.

In March, Ms Tracy Lee, events director of ERM Marketing, which holds the franchise rights to pageants like Miss and Mrs Singapore World, contacted Colleen.

A local pageant was not held to select a Mrs Singapore World representative, but Colleen was asked if she could don the Singapore sash in Russia.

Colleen said she did not agree right away.

'I'd said I was done with pageants though, so I told everyone I wouldn't do it. But they told me, 'You're stupid not to take it up; go do it!'

'So then I thought, Mrs World is actually on par with Miss World. In fact, it's like a promotion of sorts, so why not take part?'

Plus, Colleen added, this pageant was a short one, only about two weeks long. They are usually a month long, she explained.

The 1.73m beauty said she had aimed only to reach 'the top 10'.

So much so that she was taking her time, eating some fruit backstage when her name was announced during taping for a segment of the pageant.

She recalled, with a laugh: 'You should have seen my face. I was not at all prepared. The choreographers came yelling for me. They had to redo that segment.'

Was she worried about adjusting to the pace of a pageant after a break of two years?

'Yes, even my family members asked me if I would be able to acclimatise myself again,' she said.

'But I believe that if it feels strange, pageants may not be for you. It should come naturally.

'Besides, what better way to see the world? You even get to stay in five-star hotels and eat at five-star restaurants while doing so!'

The pageant was Colleen's first after marriage.

She got hitched last May to Mr Guy Maison, a business coach she had been dating for five years.

Was it any different at a 'Mrs' pageant, where the women may be a bit more mature?

To the contrary, she revealed.

Colleen said of her fellow contestants: 'I expected that some of them would be a bit more uptight and boring, but they were so much fun.

'Some of them have two or three grown-up kids, but even they turned into giggling girls when we were partying in our hotel rooms!'

TOUGH

But Colleen said the contest had its tough moments.

'At the pre-judging, about 50 per cent of our score was based on this one question - and they told us so. They asked us what we would do with the Mrs World title.

'The common answer is of course charity, mainly helping women and children. But the cause that's been closest to my heart for a long time is not very glamorous.

'But I didn't care. I just went ahead and said 'Action For Singapore Dogs'. I think that may have helped me, actually, as it was a different answer.'

Action For Singapore Dogs is a local non-profit organisation that helps stray dogs.

Colleen said her win was all the more sweet because for the first time, her whole family - parents, sister and husband - were in the audience to cheer her on.

She said: 'The event was held in a small theatre, so I could see them and all the changes in their expressions the whole time.

'They were so happy and overwhelmed. My mum is still on cloud nine, and my husband calls himself Mr Singapore now!'

And as she adds another trophy to her collection, Colleen is hopeful about the future for beauty pageants here.

This is after the recent debate over the Miss Singapore Universe pageant when it was yanked off the air this year due to low viewership and a lack of sponsors.

Said Colleen: 'It's sad that (the Miss Singapore Universe pageant) has been dropped from television this year - especially since we're doing better and better.'

She admitted that there is little support here for beauty queens who represent Singapore.

Over there, she said that after being crowned second, other contestants told her: 'Wow, you're going to get a lot of perks back home.'

As to whether this competition will be her last, Colleen joked: 'My next title will be entrepreneur of the year!'

The budding businesswoman will launch an online clothing and jewellery boutique called Francisca with her sister Scarlet, 31, at the end of the year.

She also runs The Cupcake Boutique, an online business selling homemade desserts, spa products and wedding favours.

But her most important role as a 'Mrs' will be children.

Said Colleen: 'Yes, we're trying for kids... I want four or five girls.'

This article was first published in The New Paper on July 7, 2008.