When I first spoke with Martina Sobková, I talked to a woman who was redefining what beauty, ambition, and femininity could look like. At 36, she had already made history as the first transgender woman from the Czech Republic to compete at Miss Trans Star International in São Paulo, where she earned the title of Miss Evolution. But even then, it was clear that Martina’s journey was only beginning. Now, she has stepped onto another, even bigger stage: Miss International Queen 2025, one of the most prestigious and internationally recognized pageants for transgender women. Getting there required far more than a beautiful gown, a polished catwalk, and a sash. Martina had to prepare a national costume and talent, balance intense preparation with her career in finance, and somehow keep going even when she was physically exhausted. What makes this second chapter particularly interesting, however, is that Martina does not look back on Miss International Queen simply as a glamorous achievement. Beneath the glitter, she discovered something much more personal. She learned how easily the pursuit of perfection can make us lose sight of ourselves, and how important it is to remember that our lives cannot be reduced to one competition, one appearance, or one moment on stage.
There is vulnerability in the way Martina talks about her experience. She openly admits to doubting her own beauty,
to feeling that she did not belong among the other contestants, and to wishing she had been more herself rather than
trying to become the woman she thought the pageant expected her to be. Yet there is also something wonderfully
liberating in her reflections. For Martina, the real lesson of Miss International Queen was not about winning. It
was about learning to enjoy the journey, appreciating ordinary moments, and discovering that the feeling of freedom
she experienced on a stage could also be found skiing down a mountain. In this conversation, we go behind the
glamour of Miss International Queen and into the reality behind the sash: the nerves, the exhaustion, the
friendships, the wardrobe crises, the unforgettable moments, the self-doubt, and the lessons that remained after the
lights went out. This is Martina Sobková's second chapter, and perhaps the most beautiful part of it is that she is
beginning to understand that she never needed to become someone else to shine.
Monika: Miss International Queen is not just any pageant, it’s
the
pageant. When did your preparations really start, and what was the very first thing you focused on?
Martina: I would really like to say at the beginning that I only started competing in beauty contests and modeling
in mid-2024. Until then, I never thought that I could ever try something like that, or that I should. However, that
was when I entered the Czech MJ TOP Model competition, and that is probably when my preparation started. Everything
was completely new to me: posing, catwalk, etc. Just absolutely everything. But I tried really hard because, in
December of that year, I was supposed to compete at Miss Star.
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"I had to balance my preparation
time with my working time." |
Monika: How did your typical preparation day look in the weeks before Thailand? Was it more about discipline and
routine, or controlled chaos with dresses, heels, and mirrors everywhere?
Martina: As I said, at first it was mainly about the gym and the occasional catwalk. But over time, I trained more
and more in catwalk and also in speaking. At the same time, I invested a huge amount of effort in finding clothes,
designing a national costume, and, last but not least, preparing my talent.
It is important to realize that my daily life is not about beauty, it is mainly table tennis and working in finance.
I had to balance my preparation time with my working time. As the competition approached, I had less and less time
to work and trained more and more in catwalk. I was terrible at it. I have never danced, and I am so robotic. In
life, I am really good at sports, especially skiing and table tennis, but I have never been good at fine movements,
and it was terribly challenging for me to learn them. Actually, I am still not very good at it, but I guess I am
much better than before. :)
Monika: Let’s talk gowns. How many dresses did you prepare, and how hard was it to finally say, “Okay, this is the
one”?
Martina: To be honest, it was so hard. I worked with one designer who was supposed to make a dress for me, but
during that time, she delivered a dress that was not good enough. In the meantime, a foreign designer wrote to me
and said that she would make a dress for me, so I asked her, and she gave me several options to choose from. But I
only saw pictures on Instagram, and I saw my gown in person for the first time in August, just one month before the
competition. At the same time, I found out that the gown didn't fit 100%, so I needed to have it adjusted.
Monika: Did you already have a clear vision of your Miss International Queen style, or did it evolve during
preparations?
Martina: I did from the very beginning. I wanted to be the first MIQ Czech Republic. I wanted to look more
sophisticated, but also more prepared and open-hearted. I think it wasn't the best idea. I wanted to be someone who
I am not in real life, to be honest. I should have been more myself, simply the girl who is free and doesn't care so
much.
Monika: Makeup, hair, skin, what beauty rituals became sacred during that time?
Martina: Yes, but after Miss Star, where I was missing my makeup artist, I made sure I had an makeup artist with me.
She helped me with all of that. Now, when I look back, much more important than an makeup artist would have been my
partner, who was helping me all the time before and who always supports me. At many of the main events, we had great
makeup artists there, and I could do my daily makeup myself. But I missed the mental support. She had to stay at
home.
Monika: Thailand is such a special place, especially for transgender women. What was your very first impression
when you arrived?
Martina: I loved it. People were also welcoming me at the airport, and it was amazing! Actually, I was in Thailand
for the second time in my life, but I enjoyed it so, so much! The vibrant atmosphere, the energy, etc. It was
something I am missing here in the Czech Republic.
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| "I wanted to be the first MIQ Czech Republic." |
Martina: To be honest, just very, very little. One day, we went to a shopping mall. It was great. It felt like a
vacation. I love how colorful everything is in Thailand, it is really great! We also did a small photoshoot near the
beach, so it was all nice. But, to be honest, we were in the pageant bubble a lot.
Monika: Did being in Thailand add extra emotional weight to your Miss International Queen journey?
Martina: I would say it was the atmosphere. It is simply special. Being trans there doesn't mean being something
less, and that is great. Even though in my personal life I am in touch with business CEOs, policymakers, etc., I
still have some weird feeling inside. But in Thailand, I felt like, “You are trans, and you are great as you are.”
Monika: And honestly, how did you survive the heat with full glam?
Martina: I didn't have so much of a problem with it, to be honest. The makeup artists were amazing, and we spent a
lot of time in air conditioning. On the other hand, the air conditioning was sometimes so strong, and it was harder
for me than the Thai heat. Mostly because we dressed lightly, but under the air conditioning it was cold. And
because of it, I was still sick.
Monika: Walking into Miss International Queen for the first time, what was the moment that made you think, “Wow,
I’m really here”?
Martina: How can I describe it? It was one of the best moments of my life. When I joined the competition, I didn't
realize how big it was, because I come from a different environment. People in the Czech Republic mostly do not care
about Miss Universe. They care if a Czech girl wins for a while, but overall? No. I knew it was big, but I couldn't
imagine how big it was. And when I was standing there, I still wasn't able to absorb it because I was so focused on
everything around me. How big and great it was, I realized only when I got home. I am thinking about it a lot. It
was a life-changing experience.
Monika: How intense was the competition between the girls? Did it feel more like rivalry, sisterhood, or both at
the same time?
Martina: I think there was rivalry, but also sisterhood. It is hard to describe, but I think it is everywhere. Also
in sport, which I do a lot, and actually, I think that pageantry is a bit like a sport.
Monika: Be honest, when you first saw the other contestants, did you have a moment of “Oh wow, she is stunning”?
Martina: Yes, with all of them. I always thought that the other girls looked better than me. Actually, I never saw
myself as pretty, and I admired others. I never believed that I belonged there. Maybe the main reason why I think
like this is my failed FFS, after which I have damaged nerves and some visible unevenness, which I still try to
mask. But actually, it was about a month ago when I was looking back at the pictures. And there I saw myself and
thought, “I was looking good. Why did I have so many doubts about myself?”
Monika: Were there any contestants who particularly impressed you, either with their beauty, elegance, or
personality?
Martina: The winner was stunning, as were the girls from Vietnam and Thailand, but Cuba, the first runner-up, was
the greatest girl I met there. She was amazing, so kind, nice, and self-confident.
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"The only thing I regret is that
I didn't enjoy the moment more." |
Martina: Maybe with Cuba, who I also shared a room with in Chiang Mai. But with me, it is hard. I do not have many
long-term bonds in my life. It is not because I am a bad person, but I am a loner, and over time I forget to keep in
touch with people. But, on the other hand, whenever I see them after a long time, I am so happy.
Monika: Pageants always look perfect on stage, but backstage is usually another world. Can you share a funny,
chaotic, or very human moment that happened behind the scenes?
Martina: You absolutely described it right! Chaos. Maybe one funny moment was after rehearsals, when they took our
things and luggage. I was told that my sneakers were in my luggage. But at the hotel, I found out that they weren't.
So, the next day, I was without them, but that afternoon they gave me a completely new pair because the floor was
cold. It was so, so nice of the organizers. And two days later, my sneakers were discovered.
Monika: Was there a moment when something almost went wrong, a dress, shoes, hair, timing, but you somehow saved
it?
Martina: I would say before the sash ceremony. There was one difficult moment with my dress because it didn't fit as
I had expected. But we fixed it with my makeup artist and changed the dress a bit. For me, the hardest part was the
final night. We had a closed-door interview beforehand. As I mentioned in the beginning, after the diets and
everything, I was exhausted, so during the closed-door interview, my brain stopped working, like, totally. I was
speaking, but not as I had prepared and not as I normally would. I knew I was speaking badly, and from then on I was
so sad. Then the final night started, and it wasn't me anymore.
As I am aware that the closed-door interview is important, I knew that at that moment I wasn't good. You asked about
saving it, but I didn't save it at that time. I was simply sad and upset with myself, with all my emotions mixed
together. What had happened and why, I realized only when I got home and thought about it. Now I know that I
couldn't have done it differently at that moment.
The only thing I regret is that I didn't enjoy the moment more. Because now I know that it is the most important
thing: to enjoy the precious moments.
Monika: What is one memory from Miss International Queen that still makes you smile immediately?
Martina: When I arrived and people welcomed me. It was amazing. It was beautiful. And also the day after the
competition. My makeup artist and I were in a mall, and there was a group of people. One small kid said, “This is
Czech Republic.” It was so nice. :) Also, one great moment I have in my memory was during the first few days. I lost
a ring from my girlfriend. I was so sad about it, and I just mentioned it during dinner with the girls. Then a
Brazilian girl told me that she had found a ring. It was my ring! I was so happy!
Monika: Looking back now, what did Miss International Queen teach you about yourself, not as a queen, but as a
woman?
Martina: Love yourself. You are good enough. You are more than you can see in this moment, and never invest
everything in one project.
Monika: Has this experience changed how you see beauty, confidence, or your own body?
Martina: I believe it has. Not just how I see myself, but also how I see other women. I realized that we can all be
beautiful and shine like stars. But what makes us special is our spirit. It is something that is very hard to
describe, but it is what makes us who we are. Our personality. Something that is not visible to the eye, something
that I lost on my journey of preparation for MIQ and maybe even earlier during my transition.
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| "Be yourself and enjoy your life." |
Monika: For women watching pageants and secretly dreaming of standing on that stage one day, what advice would you
give them from the heart?
Martina: Be yourself and enjoy your life. The moments on stage are amazing and fascinating, but what does it mean if
we live just for that? What if we do not know how to enjoy our daily lives?
Some time ago, I was skiing in the Alps. I used to ski a lot as a man, but after my transition I stopped, and during
my modeling period I wasn't doing it at all. When I was going down the hill, I felt like I was flying. I felt free
and happy. And it was such an amazing moment, one that I want to experience every day.
When I was standing on the stage, I thought that only the stage and competition could give me that feeling. I was
wrong. The stage and competition can enhance the feeling of happiness for a while, but the greatest happiness must
be within us, even after the competition. That is why enjoying life, and then the competition, is so important.
Monika: And finally, if you could relive one single moment from Miss International Queen, which one would you
choose, and why?
Martina: Monika, do you believe that there will never, ever be a chance to live it all again?
All photos: courtesy of Martina Sobková.
© 2026 - Monika Kowalska
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