On April 28, 1991, in the city of Kharkiv, Mr and Mrs Zhironkina rejoiced as they celebrated the birth of their daughter; the future Ms Ukraine. Since childhood, Karina Torres née Zhironkina aspired to be a fashion model. She recalls donning her mother-s clothes and cat-walking her way to the living room whenever she would get the chance.

She was only 13-years-old when she signed her first contract as a professional model. The shoot had to take place in Bangkok, Thailand so naturally, her parents displayed reluctance. However, they did not let their parental concerns hinder their daughter-s pursuit of dreams. After assuring her safety, they allowed her to accept the invite to work on that project. And with that, Karina-s professional career blossomed. She attained new heights of success with every passing day, eventually becoming Ms Ukraine 2012. She became the nation-s sweetheart and represented Ukraine in Miss World Competition the same year.