Name: Maria Julia Mantilla García
Birthdate: July 10, 1984 (1984-07-10) (age 23)
Birth location: Trujilo, Peru
Height: 5 ft 9 in (1.74 m)
Eye color: Hazel
Hair color: Light Brown
Ethnicity: Latin/American
Title(s): Miss Peru Mundo 2004 Miss World 2004
Major Competition(s): Miss Peru 2004 (1st runner up)
Miss World 2004 (winner)
María Julia "Maju" Mantilla García was born in 1984 in Trujillo, a city in Peru's northern coast. On December 4, 2004, in the Beauty Crown Theatre located in the Chinese beach city of Sanya, she was crowned Miss World 2004. During her reign, Mantilla performed a variety of duties focused on fundraising for charitable organizations. She has travelled to Indonesia, Russia, Peru, United States, Russia, Czech Republic, China and many other countries during her reign. Popularly known in her country as "Maju" Mantilla, her aunt Maria Julia Mantilla Mayer was Miss Peru 1969.
Maju is the older of two sisters. She has worked as a model and as the Hostess of a popular TV show in Peru.
In 2001, Mantilla became the Peruvian national champion of Triathlon and Penthathlon, and was elected national athlete of the year. She is a professional in The Marinera, a typical local dance. Her personal motto is: My family is my strength.
Since winning Miss World in 2004, Maju has seen her modelling career go from strength to strength. In her native Peru, she is seen as an ambassador for her country and has a responsibility for promoting her beautiful country when she travels. Further success in on the horizon as Maju was recently contracted to world leading modelling agency Ford, based in the US.
