Demi-Leigh Tebow Says She Explores Her 'Purpose' in Debut Memoir “A Crown That Lasts” (Exclusive)

"The title was the one thing that was one and done," Tebow tells PEOPLE exclusively as she announces her new memoir

From the moment that Demi-Leigh Tebow, former Miss Universe, decided to tell her story in a memoir, she knew she was going to call it A Crown That Lasts.

"The title was the one thing that was one and done," Tebow, 28, tells PEOPLE. "I always knew that was what it had to be, and it really is what the book is based on because I chased crowns that didn't last in my past experiences."

Tebow, who married former NFL star Tim Tebow, was crowned Miss Universe in 2017, making her the first South African to win the title in 39 years at the time. But she says the moment she had to pass that crown to the next winner rocked her world more than she had anticipated.

"I'm very grateful for being able to represent my home country as Miss South Africa. It's truly one of the biggest, biggest honors. And then to go on and win Miss Universe and be the first girl from South Africa to win Miss Universe in 39 years and get to just carry the South African flag so high for that year was another super big honor," she says of the title.

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"But, the night that I stood on that stage in Thailand and I was about to crown the next super worthy winner, the next Miss Universe, I remember taking that crown off of my head and passing it to the next winner," Tebow says. "And I turned around and I realized that I just handed over such a big part of my identity alongside that crown."

The model and new author, however, will "always be grateful" for her success in the circuit. But it also taught her a valuable lesson she reflects on in her debut memoir, coming August 13.

"When we root our identity in temporary things, that can be dangerous," she explains. "And I have walked that path where I got to the point where something that I worked so hard for for such a long time got taken back and I was left with that feeling of, 'What is next? What is my purpose? What is my identity even rooted in?' And so that is where A Crown That Lasts comes from."

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Tebow began writing her memoir roughly two years ago and the book is divided into four "main areas — dig, plant, grow, and flourish," she says. "I realized that I had to dig and I had to find the root cause. I had to really go and understand where my identity is rooted in."

Writing the book was "a daunting process" at times for Tebow — and it "took some digging and understanding" into her faith, she shares.

"My faith is very important to me as a Christian. I had to dive into the Bible. I had to dive into the word of God and really understand what my creator thinks of me, what He says of me. And essentially, that is where I found my lasting identity," she explains.

Tebow adds, "That is why I get to wear 'a crown that lasts' because I had to realize and recognize that, in God's eyes, I am the crown, I am the treasure."

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Now that she's ready to share her story with the world, Tebow wants to thank her husband for his support. "My best writing time was from 6 p.m. in the evening until 3 a.m. in the morning because it was quiet and nothing else was going on, and my dogs were asleep," says Tebow.

"Tim was totally neglected for a couple of months, but he was so supportive and just bringing me coffee and water and tea and snacks, and I couldn't have done this without his support, for sure," she continues.

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