When Kuusela won Finland's national pageant, Suomen Neito, on 24 May 1952, she was awarded a box of chocolates, a gold bangle, and a return ticket sponsored by Pan American Airways to the United States. On 17 June, Kuusela took a Pan Am flight from Helsinki to Long Beach, California where she took part in the first Miss Universe contest. Thirty contestants participated in the first Miss Universe pageant in 1952. It was held on 28 June 1952, and Kuusela, as Suomen Neito, captured the crown. At her crowning she was only 17 years old. At the time she weighed 49 kg, and her height was. Immediately after her winning there was a Finnish movie made of her, called Maailman kaunein tyttö where she played herself, and Tauno Palo played the role of Jack Coleman. It was directed by Veikko Itkonen, with writing credits going to Mika Waltari.
Life after Miss Universe
Marriage and life in the Philippines
On 22 February 1953, Kuusela took a journey round the world, during which time she met Filipino businessman Virgilio Hilario. Less than a year after being crowned, Kuusela chose to give up her Miss Universe crown on 4 May 1953 to marry Hilario in Tokyo after a whirlwind courtship. They had met in March at a dance in Baguio, the summer capital of the Philippines, when Kuusela as Miss Universe had gone to the country for the International Trade Exposition. They honeymooned in the Hawaiian Islands, toured the United States and then Europe, before settling in Manila, the Philippines. Kuusela and Hilario had five children: Arne, Anna-Lisa, Jose, Eva-Maria and Miguel.
Later life
Hilario died of a heart attack on 7 September 1975, and Kuusela remarried to American diplomat Albert Williams on 8 June 1978. The couple moved to Barcelona, then to Izmir, Turkey, before settling in La Jolla, a community in San Diego, California, United States. As of 2011, she and her husband were still living there. In 2012 Kuusela was awarded the Order of the White Rose of Finland, with the rank of Knight. She visited her native town of Muhos in August 2014. Her visit was an official meeting with the city municipal manager. Kuusela is still active in her community, participating in charities and involved in cancer research at the Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute.
