Joëlle Krinickas on Returning to Pageantry and Making Her Reign Count
The Miami resident and Mrs. Galaxy International 2027 speaks with Miami Living about her comeback, community work, and the adventures that changed her life.
Portrait Credit: Michel Melian | Hair & Makeup: Eugenio Rodriguez
When Joëlle Krinickas returned to pageantry in 2025 after more than 14 years away, she was still recovering from a snowboarding accident that had fractured her back in three places. With only a month or two to prepare, she returned to Galaxy, placed first runner-up internationally, and was subsequently crowned Mrs. North America Galaxy. A year later, she returned to Nassau, The Bahamas, and was crowned Mrs. Galaxy International 2027.
The Galaxy International Pageant combines interview and stage competition with an emphasis on community involvement, including volunteering and charity work. In the year between those competitions, Krinickas completed more than 70 appearances across seven states and eight countries, dedicating over 225 hours to volunteering and community service. Her work included supporting families with young children in Brazil and organizing a coastal cleanup in The Bahamas during the week of the international pageant. Here in Miami, she has taken part in beach cleanups and community initiatives, including work with local organization SharkGang.
Originally from England, Krinickas has found a home in Miami’s mix of cultures and its proximity to the water. She is a licensed skydiver who also enjoys kiteboarding, dirt biking, and martial arts, although she once feared heights and flying. A tandem skydive in memory of her cousin Christie introduced her to a sport that would lead to work in the industry and, eventually, meeting her husband.
Miami Living spoke with Krinickas about returning to a dream she first pursued at 18, the experiences that shaped her approach to volunteering, and why femininity and adventure have always belonged together in her life.
Miami Living (ML): You stepped away from pageantry for more than 14 years before deciding to return. What brought you back after such a long break?
Joëlle Krinickas: I first competed in Galaxy when I was 18 years old, and although life took me in a completely different direction afterwards, pageantry was something I always hoped to return to one day.
Over those 14 years, I experienced so much, both wonderful and challenging, that shaped the woman I am today. I travelled, pursued adventures, built a career, got married and became increasingly involved in volunteering and giving back to communities.
I think what really brought me back was realizing that I had so much more to offer now than I did at 18. Back then, I was a young girl with a dream of wearing the crown. Returning in my thirties, I was a woman with life experience, a clearer sense of who I was and a genuine desire to use the opportunity to make a difference.
I also wanted to prove to myself that dreams don’t come with an expiration date. Just because you take a different path in life doesn’t mean you can’t return to something you once loved.
ML: You returned to the stage only months after fracturing your back in three places in a snowboarding accident. How did that experience shape your comeback?
Joëlle Krinickas: It completely changed my perspective on what I was capable of.
In March 2025, I fractured my L2, L3 and L4 transverse processes in my spine in a snowboarding accident. Suddenly, things I had always taken for granted, like being active and having the freedom to do the sports I love, weren’t so straightforward anymore.
I’ve always been someone who loves adventure and pushing myself physically, so having to slow down was incredibly difficult. When I decided to return to Galaxy, I had very little time to prepare and was still recovering from my injuries.
I went into that competition not knowing what to expect. I certainly wasn’t at the level of physical preparation I would have liked, but I refused to let that stop me from trying.
Walking onto that international stage and ultimately placing first runner-up was such a proud moment, not just because of the result, but because I knew what it had taken to get there.
That experience taught me that strength isn’t always about what your body can physically do. Sometimes it’s about having the courage to show up, even when the circumstances aren’t perfect.
ML: What do the Galaxy organization and the Mrs. Galaxy International title represent to you personally?
Joëlle Krinickas: Galaxy will always hold a very special place in my heart because it’s where my dream began at 18 for the international title with Galaxy and 14 years later, it’s where I returned to pursue that same dream.
What I love about Galaxy is that it celebrates women for so much more than their appearance. It recognizes ambition, individuality, community involvement and the different experiences that make each woman who she is.
Being crowned Mrs. Galaxy International was an incredibly emotional moment for me. It represented years of personal growth, challenges, determination and a dream I had carried with me for more than a decade.
But what makes the title truly special is what I get to do with it.
During my time as Mrs. North America Galaxy, I discovered just how much opportunity a crown can create when you use it to connect with people, support causes and encourage others to get involved.
Now, as Mrs. Galaxy International, I have the privilege of taking that work even further, representing an organization I genuinely love on an international level and hopefully encouraging other women to pursue their own dreams, whatever stage of life they’re at.
For me, the crown isn’t the end goal. It’s an opportunity to do something meaningful.
Photo credit: Daniel Gagnon | Hair & Makeup: Jaz Cuggy
Purpose and Perspective
ML: During your reign as Mrs. North America Galaxy, you devoted more than 225 hours to volunteering and community service. Was there one experience that had a particularly lasting impact on you?
Joëlle Krinickas: It’s incredibly difficult to choose just one because every experience has taught me something different.
During my reign, I was fortunate enough to complete more than 70 appearances across seven US states and eight countries, supporting everything from environmental conservation and disaster relief to food banks, children’s charities and animal welfare organizations.
One of the experiences that have stayed with me most is donating vital items for young children and infants in Brazil during my visit there and receiving pictures from the families afterwards still warms my heart today.
Another experience that was particularly meaningful was organizing a coastal cleanup in the Bahamas during Galaxy International week, alongside Mrs. Bahamas Galaxy and local environmental partners. Being able to bring my passion for ocean conservation into the very week I was competing for the international title was incredibly special.
The ocean has always been a huge part of my life, particularly through kiteboarding and travelling, and seeing firsthand how much waste affects our coastlines reinforces why protecting these environments matters so much to me.
If there’s one thing volunteering has taught me, it’s that you don’t need to do something extraordinary to make a difference. Sometimes the smallest actions can have the biggest impact on someone else’s day.
ML: You’ve said that women should never have to choose between being feminine and being fearless. What does that idea mean to you today?
Joëlle Krinickas: I think women are sometimes made to feel that they have to fit into a particular category, and I’ve never really understood why.
I absolutely love being feminine. I love fashion, beautiful gowns, getting dressed up and everything that comes with pageantry. But I also love adrenaline and adventure, such as kiteboarding, dirt biking, snowboarding and practicing martial arts.
To me, those things aren’t opposites. They’re simply different parts of who I am.
Being feminine doesn’t mean you have to be delicate in everything you do, just as being adventurous or physically strong doesn’t make you any less feminine.
I think that’s something I’ve become even more passionate about as I’ve got older. Women are wonderfully multifaceted, and we should feel comfortable embracing every part of ourselves without feeling the need to fit somebody else’s expectations.
I can wear a crown and an evening gown one day and be covered in mud in another adventure the next day, and I love that about my life!
If anything, I hope that being Mrs. Galaxy International shows other women and young girls that they don’t have to limit themselves to just one version of who they can be.
ML: From skydiving and kiteboarding to dirt biking and martial arts, you’ve consistently pursued things that push you outside your comfort zone. What draws you to those challenges?
Joëlle Krinickas: I actually used to be terrified of trying new things! I was especially scared of heights and flying, so the idea of jumping out of an airplane was probably the last thing anyone would have expected me to do.
My first ever skydive was a tandem jump in memory of my cousin Christie, who had a brain tumour. It was something that pushed me so far outside my comfort zone, but that experience completely changed my outlook on life. I absolutely fell in love with skydiving and wanted to be able to give other people that same incredible experience of overcoming their fears, which led me to working in the skydiving industry.
Little did I know that decision would also eventually lead me to meeting my now husband, who introduced me to kitesurfing, and from there my love for adventure just continued to grow!
What I love most is that so many of the best things in my life have come from stepping outside my comfort zone. If I hadn’t taken that first leap out of an airplane, my life could look completely different today, and I might never have even met my husband!
Of course, I still get nervous trying new things, but I’ve learned that being scared doesn’t necessarily mean you shouldn’t do something. Sometimes the experiences that frighten us the most end up being the ones that change our lives in the most wonderful ways.
I think that’s what continues to draw me to new challenges. Life is far too short not to experience as much of it as we can, and you never know where saying yes to something might take you.
Official Galaxy floor photo: Daniel Gagnon | Hair & Makeup: Texas Glam Squad
Miami and the Road Ahead
ML: Miami is home for you. What is it about the city that has made it such an important part of your life?
Joëlle Krinickas: Originally from England, Miami is quite a contrast to where I grew up, but it’s become a place I really love calling home.
I love being surrounded by the water, which is something I particularly appreciate. Being so close to the ocean and having the opportunity to enjoy an active, outdoor lifestyle throughout the year is wonderful, especially as someone who loves watersports and nature.
But what I love most about Miami is how incredibly diverse it is. There are so many different cultures, nationalities and communities all living alongside one another, and there’s always something happening or somewhere new to explore.
It’s also where I’ve been able to build so many meaningful connections through volunteering and community events.
From beach cleanups and charity initiatives to working alongside local organizations such as SharkGang, Miami has given me so many opportunities to get involved and contribute to the place I call home.
I think there’s something really special about living somewhere that offers so much excitement and opportunity, while still being able to find that sense of community.
ML: How would you like to use your reign to make an impact here in Miami and South Florida?
Joëlle Krinickas: One of my biggest goals as Mrs. Galaxy International is to continue building on the community work I’ve already been doing, while encouraging more people to get involved and make a difference themselves.
I’m particularly passionate about environmental conservation, especially protecting our oceans and coastlines. Living in South Florida, we’re incredibly fortunate to be surrounded by such beautiful natural environments, and I believe we all have a responsibility to help protect them for future generations.
I’d love to continue expanding my involvement in beach cleanups, conservation projects and environmental education, while also supporting the many wonderful local organizations such as SharkGang working to make a difference in our communities.
My volunteering has always extended beyond environmental causes, and that’s something I want to continue throughout my reign. From supporting families experiencing food insecurity and helping children’s charities to animal welfare, disaster relief and community outreach, there are so many causes close to my heart.
Having already had the opportunity to work alongside some incredible organizations throughout Miami and South Florida, I’d love to use my international title to bring greater awareness to their work and hopefully inspire others to volunteer their time too.
For me, it’s never been about simply showing up for a photograph or wearing a crown. I genuinely enjoy getting involved, meeting people, hearing their stories and being able to contribute in whatever way I can.
I hope that by the end of my reign, I can look back knowing I’ve not only made a positive contribution to the communities I represent, but also encouraged others to discover just how rewarding giving back can be.