A beauty queen has told how she turned her life around after battling homelessness and mental health issues.
Astrud Theadora Caldwell, 21, won the Miss Kelvingrove title and is now hoping to compete for the Miss Great Britain crown. But as a teen, her life looked much bleaker. Astrud was in a relationship with a violent partner.
It led to clashes with her parents and she was kicked out of the family home. From 16 to 18 she lived rough on the streets and in homeless hostels, drinking too much, until she managed to turn her life around. Astrud and her then partner would spend every night looking for places to stay.
She said: “Half the time we didn’t sleep, we walked until sun up.”
She added: “You have no idea how stressful my old life was but I want to let people know you can start again. I got thrown out the house. I was in a destructive, violent relationship with an ex-boyfriend. It was toxic.
“I ended up living on the streets and in five different hostels before I found my way out.” Eventually she managed to get a flat from Cadder Housing Association in Glasgow.
Astrud said: “I moved up from there. I stopped drinking. Getting my own home led me to earn my own money. At one point I was working seven days a week doing a variety of jobs – a receptionist, a factory worker, bar tender and hairdressing assistant – to get on my feet.”
She is now reconciled with her family.
Astrud said: “My mum and I are tighter than ever. She is really proud of me.”
Astrud – who is saving for the outfits she needs to compete for Miss Glasgow – added beauty contests were always “her dream”.
If she wins Miss Glasgow she will enter the Miss Great Britain contest.
Astrud still has to deal with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, which causes her to suffer memory issues and means she can wander off at tangents.
She said: “ADHD is very misunderstood. It takes a real toll on my life and it is difficult to get a routine in my life. But in a way, it is a superpower. With ADHD there is a lot of living in the moment and that is ideal for competitions.”
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