Maria Julia Mantilla

Mantilla's athletic background is impressive. In 2001, she became the Peruvian national champion in triathlon and pentathlon and was elected national athlete of the year. She is also a professional dancer of the Marinera, a traditional local dance. With a group of ladies, she developed a program in Trujillo to provide breakfast to hundreds of children in poor areas.

In 2004, she was Miss La Libertad and represented Peru at the Miss World contest, held in Sanya, China. She was one of the major favorites, and on December 4, 2004, she was crowned Miss World 2004 by the previous winner, Rosanna Davison of Ireland. Mantilla became the second Peruvian to win the title, after Madeline Hartog-Bel in 1967. She also won the Miss World Americas title. During the competition, she was a semifinalist in three fast-track events: she tied for third in Miss World Sports, made the Top 25 in Talent with her Marinera Norteña dance, and placed second runner-up in Contestants' Choice.

During her reign, Mantilla traveled to Indonesia, Russia, the United States, the Czech Republic, China, Tibet, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and other countries, fundraising for charitable organizations. On December 10, 2005, she crowned her successor, Unnur Vilhjálmsdóttir of Iceland. As a Peruvian, she is also a sportswoman, alpine skier, and TV host. She is 5'9" tall with brown hair and brown eyes, and her natural measurements are 35.5-24-35.5. She is straight. Her Instagram following is 2.3 million.