Sally Odei-Amoani, affectionately known as Amoani, has shared a candid and inspiring reflection on her journey through Ghana’s national beauty pageants, shedding light on the often-unspoken struggles behind the glamour.
In a heartfelt Instagram post, the third runner-up of Ghana’s Most Beautiful (GMB) 2022 revealed that while she never won any of the three major national pageants she contested—Miss Universe Ghana, Miss Ghana, and GMB—she remains proud of the legacy she built and the impact she made.
“I contested in 3 national pageants and won none but remained memorable,” she wrote, adding that GMB gave her a breakthrough opportunity to advocate for STEM education, one of her most fulfilling accomplishments to date.
Amoani’s journey has been anything but easy. She first started auditioning in 2014 and only secured her first national pageant spot in 2018, later becoming Miss Ghana’s first runner-up in 2019. But the road was riddled with disheartening moments and brutal feedback.
“A female judge told me I wasn’t tall enough to get to the next level, even with my intelligence,” she recalled. “I got evicted because of this.”
She also revealed how her confidence was often misread as arrogance, a perception that worked against her in some competitions.
On another occasion, she was penalised for encouraging parents to educate their children about their bodies and sex education, a message she still firmly believes in.
“The pageant scene can be messy,” she admitted. “Some girls don’t mind breaking your arm and leg to be close to the crown.”
Despite these setbacks, Amoani has no regrets. While she doubts she’ll return to pageantry as a contestant, she feels called to mentor younger girls, believing that her real gift may lie in teaching and coaching.
“Maybe I was called to teach, not necessarily win a pageant,” she mused. “I believe in using whatever platform you’re given well. Win or not, you can make impact!”
The Instagram post is below:
