
In 1996, Lola Odusoga, then eighteen, was named Miss Finland (Miss Suomi in Finnish). Iyabode Ololade (Lola) Remilekun Odusoga, who was born on June 30, 1977, in the Finnish coastal city of Bo (Turku), is her full name. Her mother was born in Finland, while her father was born in Nigeria. Ololade is a Youruba name that meaning “The affluent one has come.” Lola was a competitive dancer in her teen years.
Odusoga earned the Miss Press and Favorite of the TV Audience honors at the same time that she was crowned Miss Finland, demonstrating the popularity of the judges’ choice. Odusoga competed in the 1996 Miss Universe pageant in Las Vegas, Nevada, on May 17, after winning the title of Miss Finland. There, she was named second runner up. The next year, 1997, Odusoga was named Miss Scandinavia. She stood 174 cm tall and weighed 54 kg when she was Miss Finland.
Despite the fact that the majority of Finns approved of the jury’s choice, a vociferous minority publicly disapproved of Odusoga’s selection as Miss Finland. In Helsinki media, defenses like “a dark skinned girl with brown eyes should not represent the blonde Finnish people” started to surface. The argument over her choice swiftly shifted into a more broad but still vehement dispute over the definition of mulatto and the stereotypical traits of black people in America, Europe, and Africa.
Lola Odusoga had grown up in Finland like any other child, spoke great Finnish, and much of the discussion was irrelevant to her because of this. Additionally, Lola’s charm, composure, and personality quickly silenced the naysayers. Public complaints about her being an unfit Finnish representative ended when she returned from the Miss Universe event.
Odusoga’s fame increased after her year as Miss Finland, and she started to appear on several Finnish TV programmes. She also worked in public relations and modeling. Karita Maria Tuomola, Miss Finland 1997, complained that Odusoga eclipsed her during her succeeding reign as a result of her fame during her reign.
Odusoga lost the public’s attention until she made her decision to undergo breast implants public in 2000.
In 2005, Lola Odusoga wed Jarkko Wallinkoski. Denise Patricia, a daughter, was born in 2004; Sylvester Ilmari Jalmari, a son, was born in 2006.