Canadian Veteran Advocates for PTSD Awareness on the Mrs. Universe Stage

Giselle Drew at Mrs. Universe in Icheon, South Korea © Courtesy of Giselle Drew

Canadian Veteran Advocates for PTSD Awareness on the Mrs. Universe Stage

ALLIE MURRAY

From serving her country as a Master Corporal in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), Giselle Drew has received a new title— one that transcends the boundaries of military rank— Mrs. Canada Universe.

Coming from a long line of military family, Drew enlisted with the CAF in 2008 and served as an infantry soldier for 16 years. After her retirement, Drew turned her efforts towards advocacy for Veterans, noting that since the time of Canada’s participation in the war in Afghanistan, Canada has lost more soldiers to suicide than the 168 soldiers who died there. This, along with the firsthand experience of witnessing Veterans struggle upon returning from duty, made her realize she could do more to support her fellow retired CAF members.

Drew has long worked as a motivational speaker and advocate, and often found herself speaking about issues to the same groups of people. One day, an Instagram ad made a world of difference.

“I have been advocating for mental health awareness for a decade now, and every time I noticed I was speaking to a lot of the same crowd,” Drew explained.

“One day, an ad for an upcoming pageant popped up on my Instagram, and I saw it as an opportunity to talk to a new crowd about these concerns. It worked in my favour as I have been able to open a whole new platform to an audience that, at first, wasn’t aware, but now have become so genuinely supportive.”

Earlier this year, Drew was crowned Mrs. Canada Universe ‘24/’25 and went on to compete internationally at the Mrs. Universe pageant in South Korea. On the international stage, Giselle placed in the top 25 of 110 delegates, a first for Canada in almost 10 years.

When asked how she felt when she was crowned Mrs. Canada Universe, Drew mentioned she was a bundle of nerves, which later melted away, realizing her advocacy message had successfully landed.

“I wanted it so bad because I believed I could use it to hopefully make some change, or at least encourage more conversation about PTSD,” she continued. “If I won, I’d be the first Canadian service member to ever win a National Canadian pageant title and the responsibility wasn’t lost on me. When my name was called, I just remember thinking, ‘they heard me.’”

In South Korea, Drew tailored her pageant outfits to represent different eras in the Canadian military, including making her own national costume adorned with handmade poppies from Veterans across Canada.

“I hope people see and feel the love and respect I have for those who served, are serving, and those who have made that ultimate sacrifice,” Drew said, referring to the powerful message embedded into her gown.

“For my time as Mrs. Canada Universe, until I crown my successor in July 2025, I hope to use this title to do as much as possible, talk to as many people as possible, and help as many people as possible, within my arcs, and if I can’t do something then I hope to have made enough impactful connections that I can at least point someone in the right direction.”

In addition to her work in the pageant circuit, Drew hosts a podcast titled “Breaking Dress Regs,” where she shares personal stories and interviews with individuals who have challenged societal norms, offering a platform for voices striving to inspire change. She also serves as the Board Secretary for Valour in the Presence of the Enemy, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting Veterans and military families, as well as sits on the Board of Directors for the Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health Research.