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With just a few weeks left as Miss World, Miss South Africa 2014 Rolene Strauss will soon be swapping her crown for medical textbooks – and a wedding ring.

The former University of the Free State medical student walked away with the coveted title in London last year and has been travelling the world since then.

Now in Sanya, China, for the lead-up to the 65th Miss World finale in December, Strauss has her plans in place for 2016.

She told The Times she will be continuing with her medical studies and is getting married.

“I’ve such an exciting year ahead. Getting married and launching the Strauss Foundation are but a few of the things I’m looking forward to,” said the beauty queen.

Strauss described her reign as delightful, saying: “I’m seeing the world through different eyes after this amazing year.”

Volksrust-born Strauss said she had sampled some “weird” food on her travels – from snake in China to grasshoppers in Mexico – and said she loved trying out delicacies of the countries she has visited.

Her advice to this year’s contestants is to stay true to themselves.

“It’s so important to be yourself,” she said.

“Be kind and humble, and know what to tell them about yourself that is important for the Miss World Organisation to know. If you don’t tell them, who will?”

This year’s Miss World finalists arrived in China last week and are now in boot camp preparing for the finale. Miss South Africa, Liesl Laurie as well as Miss Zimbabwe – Annie Grace Mutambu are some of the contestants.  A welcome dinner was held for the finalists on Monday with the finest Hainanese cuisine as well as a dazzling firework display to welcome the delegates. The contestants got their first taste of international fame as they were presented to the public for the first time.

During the dinner, Strauss gave perhaps the most moving speech of her reign in which she described her love of Sanya and her most valuable lesson learnt during her tenure as Miss World.

Images of the contestants in boot camp where also released to the public this week with Miss Zimbabwe only appearing in one so far. She seems to be shying away from the cameras. – TimesLive/Showbiz Reporter.