SPIRIT OF BOSL

After months of preparation, tabulation, and anticipation, the decision was finally announced. The Spirit of BOSL had a winner. But on December 10, 2022, the woman selected was more than the first place recipient. She was the first ever chosen in the premiere event. And the winner is… (drum roll) …Ms. Negly Claremont!

A project of The Best of Second Life organization, The Spirit of BOSL is a celebration of virtual residents and what makes us unique in good ways. Perhaps none are more deserving of the inaugural title than the abovementioned,- Negly. Her winning spirit shines through her life.

“I was shocked when they announced I won,” laughs Negly, discussing the finale while interviewed with her husband of both worlds, Jacob Claremont. From their virtual home on a hilltop, she recalls, “I was crying and overwhelmed and thankful that all the effort I put in yielded fruits. In other words – I was super happy!”

Her spouse agrees. “I did not attend the event in order to prevent lag,” Jacob recalls. “But I was watching her expressions (in real life) and did not know what her reaction would be. I had to wait for her to tell me she won.”

Mr. and Mrs. Claremont’s story is as unique as the contest. Negly was born and raised in Venezuela. She describes her home country as “full of beauty and warm people.” But situations in Venezuela were rapidly deteriorating, which is why she came to Second Life.

“I wanted to escape reality by creating a virtual life,” she recalls. And so she did.

“When I saw the wonderful things one could do in SL’s fashion world, I decided to pursue it. I fell in love with it.” Fashion was not all she fell in love with.

In 2013 Negly met Jacob in the virtual world. In the real world, she was in Venezuela, and he was in New England. Behold the power of Second Life.

“We met at a Second Life Christian group – House of Prayer,” Jacob noted. “I had given up [on dating] because mine was a tragic story of ex-girlfriends and bad choices.” And then, Negly walked into his life – literally.

Jacob remembers, “She walked up and asked if she could sit by me and talk.” The rest is history.

The couple became boyfriend and girlfriend. “We prayed that one day we could meet each other,” adds Negly.

In 2016, Jacob received a toy airplane for Christmas. Curiously, he looked at his parents, who smiled and explained, “We got her a ticket.” In March 2017, Negly flew to America, and the couple met for the first time.

One month later, he proposed, and she said yes. Four months after they met in RL, the two married.

Her family was unable to attend the wedding. However, the happy event was live-streamed by the church they were married in. Negly’s parents and siblings watched the wedding and reception via laptop computer in Venezuela.

“At the end of the night, I was dancing with my laptop,” Negly remembers. “My parents on the other side of the world were waving their hands with happiness.”

The couple has been married for five years.

In addition to being the embodiment of the spirit of BOSL, the contest of the same name promotes and encourages contestants without modeling backgrounds to “jump into the world of fashion and brand representation.”

In her early days in SL, Negly embraced the fashion world. She enrolled and graduated from the cyberworld’s Fashion Model University. However, she was unable to pursue a fashion career due to Venezuela’s undependable internet service and occasional electrical blackouts.

But winning The Spirit of BOSL rekindled her passion for the world of fashion. The contest’s preliminaries were good training. “We had different challenges every month,” she notes about the seven months of qualifications and eliminations. “There were three model runway challenges and three photo challenges.”

She adds, “the contest was a long commitment, but it created a routine for me to get my styling in order and to focus on the next challenge. Looking back, I grew up so much as a person and as a model in this contest. I loved how, with the help of so many people, I was able to come to meet every style.”

Speaking about her husband’s involvement, “Jacob was my strong support. He supervised my styling and edited my grammar.” She laughs.

When asked for advice to others considering entering the next Spirit of BOSL, Negly replies, “Don’t quit. Stay with it. There are many steps in the contest’s process, and some are difficult. Take your time. Breathe, heal, and start again. If I can do it, you can, too!”

As for the future: “I plan to polish my modeling knowledge and fashion.” As the winner of Spirit of BOSL, Negly has a full scholarship to the new BLVD Pro Academy, which she plans to attend. She will pursue SL’s professional training in modeling and hopes to participate in fashion shows.

“I would also like to help my friends improve their modeling skills; perhaps we can one day walk on a runway together!”

And the partnered couple of SL and married couple of RL will continue to thrive in both worlds. “It’s amazing,” Jacob adds, “to meet someone in what some would call a video game and then, years later, marry her.”

The dream was and is real for the Claremonts: she, the first recipient of Ms. Spirit of BOSL, and he, her husband and supporter. Negly and husband Jacob exemplify the spirit of the contest and the best of Second Life.