Reggae Rutty crowned Miss Universe Cayman Island, wins $70,000 and scholarship

A 22-year-old Regan Rutty emerged as the winner of the Miss Universe Cayman Islands 2024 pageant in the grand finale held on Saturday night. With this exceptional victory, she also won prize money of $70,000 with a 3-year scholarship from the Ministry of Tourism, a one-year employment contract with the Ministry of Border Control and Labour, jewellery and free travel via the island’s national airline.

She bested five other contestants to win the title and crown on the sold-out coronation night in the Westin Hotel ballroom.

Reggae Rutty succeeded last year’s winner, Ileann Powery, and will now prepare to compete in the 73^rd Miss Universe pageant, which will take place in Mexico City on 16^th November 2024. She was followed by Arin Broderick and Brianna Wilson who claimed the second and third position respectively.

All the contestants of the pageant participated in a number of segments during Saturday night’s finale, including swimwear, evening gowns and a Q&A session.

Regan Rutty not only won the crown but also received three other tags, including Miss Best in Swimwear, Miss Best Cayman Kind Award, and the People’s Choice Prize.

Along with Reggae Rutty, other contestants also earned notable titles such as Tracey Campbell earned the Best In Gown and Miss Best Smile Awards. Zhane Rambran was recognized with the Miss Social Impact award, Brianna Wilson won the Miss Congeniality award and Arin Broderick secured the Miss Best In Interview and Miss Photogenic awards.

Regan Rutty has also been the first Olympic gymnast to represent Cayman Island at the Tokyo 2021 Games. The former gymnast had competed on the biggest stages in the world for 15 years, including the 2020 Olympics, the 2018 Commonwealth games, the 2019 PanAm games and the 2018 and 2019 World Championships.

Following her victory at the Miss Universe Cayman Island Pageant, she expressed her excitement and extended gratitude to her community for their unwavering support and unconditional love. She noted that she did not compete for herself but for the opportunity to represent her district and her country on an international platform.

With her winning the title and crown of Miss Universe Cayman Island, she promised to proudly carry the same pride and kindness that has guided her on the Olympic stage. She noted that she will continue to advocate for mental health and suicide awareness, working hard to educate the community about cardiovascular diseases.

While emphasising on her goal, Rutty stated that she is committed to inspire young people to pursue their dreams and to remind every Caymanian that just because they belong to a small country does not mean they cannot accomplish big.

Regan Rutty promises to become a source of inspiration for all those girls who wishes to represent their nation on the global platform.