Meet Reita Faria, The First Asian to Win The Miss World Tittle and The First Model To Become a Doctor

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Reita Faria Powell was born on 23 August 1943. She had lot of first wins in her career. In 1966, she won the Miss World tittle, making her the first Asian to win that tittle.

17th November 1966: Miss India, Reita Faria is crowned Miss World 1966 at the Lyceum Theatre, London. Beside her are runners-up Miss Greece (left) and Miss Yugoslavia (Nikica Marinovic), who were awarded third and second place respectively. (Photo by Wesley/Keystone/Getty Images)

After one year of her reign as Miss World, she rejected proposals to modelling jobs and also movie roles, choosing to concentrate on her studies.

She went on to gain her M.B.B.S degree from Grant Medical College & Sir J. J. Group of Hospitals. Later on, Reita went on to study at the King’s College Hospital in London. Years later she became a doctor, making her the first Miss World winner to qualify as a doctor.

In 1971, she married her mentor David Powell. The couple shifted to Dublin in 1973; here Reita began her medical practice. She was one of the judges at the 1976 Miss World contest and 1998 Femina Miss India contest.