Award-Winning Journalist, Ashley Lyles, Named Miss New York International 2020


Ashley Lyles, 24, of New York City, was crowned Miss New York International and will go on to compete for the title of Miss International 2020 during the final competition in Kingsport, Tenn., July 30-Aug. 1, 2020. Lyles is an award-winning medical journalist and an aspiring physician. She travels to domestic and international medical society meetings, primarily covering cardiology.

During her reign as Miss New York International, Lyles will devote much of her time to her platform Arrest the Risk, the American Heart Association (AHA), and the AHA Go Red for Women movement. As an ambassador for AHA and the movement, she will focus on CPR training for young women and youth. She will also contribute to cardiovascular disease prevention efforts internationally. Her passion for heart health is driven by her father’s battle with heart disease, which resulted in sudden cardiac arrest and sextuple bypass surgery.

“His lifeless body was literally lying face down on a moving treadmill. No one working at the gym that day knew how to perform CPR or how to use a defibrillator. I am more determined than ever to make sure what happened to my dad becomes a thing of the past,” says Lyles.

International Pageants, Inc. supports Go Red for Women through nation-wide volunteer and financial support. Her father’s battle with heart disease is the inspiration behind her pursuit of a career as a medical journalist and as a cardiologist. She is a graduate of New York University’s Science, Health & Environmental Reporting Program (NYU SHERP). Previously, she studied professional writing at Michigan State University.

Her talent and passion for heart health awareness earned her the 2017 Cardiovascular Research Foundation’s Jason Kahn Medical Journalism Fellowship and a seat on its Women’s Heart Health Initiative Advisory Committee. Her work has taken her to Honduras, Cambodia, France, and Ghana and has appeared in outlets like The New York Times Daily 360, PBS NewsHour, The Huffington Post, The Root, and Tonic (Vice), among others. A true champion of children’s literacy, Ashley was appointed by former Southfield mayor Brenda Lawrence to serve as a student representative for the Southfield Public Library Board.

The Miss International Pageant is owned and operated by International Pageants, Inc., which also operates Mrs. International, Miss Teen International, and Miss Pre-Teen International pageants. It is the only platform-based pageant system dedicated to highlighting women’s accomplishments through community service. Miss International showcases young women 19-to 30-years-old and features four categories of competition, including interview, fitness wear, fun fashion and evening gown. For more information about Ashley Lyles visit http://www.ashleylyles.com/

Editor’s Note:

  • Interview and photo opportunities available
  • High-resolution head shots also available

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