Sixteen years after last representing New Zealand on the international pageant stage, Ina Babic is preparing to do it again.
Babic has been selected to hold the title of Mrs Universe New Zealand 2026 and will represent New Zealand at the 49th Mrs Universe pageant in Sri Lanka this October, where 125 women from around the world will compete for the title.
“Earlier this year, I took a chance and returned to pageantry after 16 years away. Now I’m preparing to represent New Zealand at Mrs Universe in Sri Lanka. It has reminded me that sometimes one decision to step outside your comfort zone can take you somewhere you never expected.”
Babic previously represented New Zealand at the 50th Miss International pageant in China in 2010 and competed at World Miss University in South Korea.
In the years that followed, she got married, had two children, Luka, 11, and Sienna, 7, and built a career that now includes her role as Editor of the Vegetarian Living NZ magazine and an Executive Committee member of the New Zealand Vegetarian Society.
For 16 years, Babic believed her pageant days were behind her. That changed earlier this year when, at 40, she took a chance on returning to the stage and competed in Miss Universe New Zealand 2026.
Following her return to pageantry, Babic was selected to hold the Mrs Universe New Zealand title by the Miss Universe New Zealand organisation, which now holds the New Zealand rights to the international Mrs Universe pageant.
Babic says returning to the international stage as a mother and at a very different stage of her life has given the experience new meaning.
“When I represented New Zealand in my twenties, my life looked completely different. This time I’m going as a woman with much more life experience and a much stronger understanding of who I am and what I stand for.”
For Babic, sharing the experience with her children has made the journey particularly meaningful.
“We spend so much time telling our children to believe in themselves and pursue their dreams. I think it’s equally important for them to see us doing that too.”
“I want my children to know that you don’t have to have everything mapped out. Sometimes you take an opportunity, give it everything you have and see where it leads.”
“Mrs Universe celebrates women not only for how they present themselves, but for their life experiences, achievements and the contribution they make beyond the pageant stage. That’s something that really resonates with me.”
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Advocacy Beyond Pageantry
Beyond pageantry, Babic’s work with the New Zealand Vegetarian Society centres around healthier lifestyles, compassion for animals and environmental sustainability – causes she plans to continue advocating for through her Mrs Universe platform.
“For me, having a platform is about what you choose to do with it. I want to represent New Zealand proudly, but also to continue conversations around the issues I care deeply about.”
– “Small choices around the way we eat and live can have a positive impact on our health, animals and the environment. If this platform helps those messages reach people who might not otherwise hear them, that is incredibly meaningful to me.”
Born in Bulgaria, Babic has called Aotearoa home for 25 years and says representing New Zealand internationally again is a privilege she does not take lightly.
“I feel incredibly honoured to have the opportunity to represent New Zealand at Mrs Universe,” says Babic. “To wear the New Zealand sash on an international stage again, at such a different stage of my life, makes this particularly special.”
Babic will travel to Sri Lanka in October to compete at the 49th Mrs Universe pageant.
Name: Ina Babic
Professional Title: Editor, Vegetarian Living Nz
Bio: Ina Babic is Mrs Universe New Zealand 2026 and will compete at Mrs Universe in Sri Lanka this October. A mother of two, she is Editor of the Vegetarian Living NZ magazine and serves on the New Zealand Vegetarian Society Executive Committee, advocating for healthier lifestyles, compassion for animals and environmental sustainability.
