IT was not her beauty alone that won over the judges at the Rose of Tralee last week.
You would have got good odds on a young Athy woman, representing London, winning the title for the second year in a row. But that is precisely what Clare Kambamettu did when she bowled over the judges, her fellow Rose contestants and the wider television audience, not alone with her striking good looks, but with her warm personality, her intelligence, her wit, her sense of humour and fun.
Who will forget the look on her dad Ravi’s face when she told TV host Dáithí Ó Sé that her mam animal lover Breda had rescued a horse? “Wasn’t it priceless,” said the new Rose.
It’s been a whirlwind few days for Clare since she was crowned in the Dome last Tuesday night by the 2009 Rose, fellow Athy woman Charmaine Kenny. She had to miss a planned trip to Spain on Friday for a friend’s wedding, a decision she did not take lightly, but common sense prevailed when she realised she simply could not travel, catch up with lost sleep and meet the demands of her new schedule.
Clare now faces the decision of how she will handle the next year. She is looking forward to getting very involved in the Rose charities, in particular those in India where her dad hails from. “I spoke to the off ice in Tralee and there is no pressure on me to do anything I don’t want to do.”
She will speak to her employer in London before making a final decision but “a move home might be on the cards,” she added.
“The opportunities that are available to me now are unbelievable and it is a bit strange trying to take it all in,” she said.
“My life has changed completely overnight.”
Her family in India has been following her progress in the competition via the internet and Rose TV and are excited and intrigued by the whole thing.
“The competitive side of this was really, really far from your mind. It only hit me on the Monday that wow we are being judged. It doesn’t feel like that at all.”
Clare arrived back home in Athy late on Thursday night to find banners and signs and white bunting adorning the house and a table of goodies to enjoy. One quick thinking friend/neighbour had delivered a little toy horse wrapped in tissue paper, especially for her dad Ravi, in reference to the rescued horse story she had told in her television interview.
So a busy year lies ahead for this young Athy woman but she is determined to make the most of all the opportunities the title brings and to play her part in getting involved in the various charity projects at home and abroad.
Athy is already making plans for her official homecoming and the messages of congratulations and good luck are still pouring in. In the meantime the new Rose was off to catch up on a few hours sleep.