MISS Venezuela Dayana Mendoza was ice-cool during the Miss Universe 2008 pageant in Nha Trang, Vietnam.

Her composure was only momentarily broken when she was announced the winner.

How did she manage to stay so calm?

One possible reason: The 22-year-old is from a country where kidnappings are common.

And the newly-crowned beauty was once a victim.

The New Paper reported that the 22-year-old had told the Vietnamese paper Thanh Nien: 'I think the biggest lesson I have learnt is to compose myself in any situation.

'I was kidnapped when I was around 10 years old.

'But I was calm enough to bring out the better side of my kidnapper and take advantage of a moment alone to call the police,' she recalled.

Miss Mendoza was a victim of 'express kidnappings' where victims are taken to make purchases or to withdraw as much money as possible from ATMs, often at gunpoint.

'It's something that happens in my country. You don't even have to have money to be kidnapped,' she told the media.

She also revealed that she left Venezuela for New York when she was 15 to start her modelling career.

'At that time, I could only speak three words in English - hello, bye and thank you.

'What I have learnt to help me survive is to be of sound mind and to try to adapt to the melting pot.'