When we think of beauty pageants the familiar images come to mind - tall, toned models in big dresses, the swimsuit round, catwalk parades, but one Northern Ireland woman is hoping to represent all women when she competes in a US pageant this month.
Anouska Black from Dollingstown, Co Down is taking part in the Royal International Miss Pageant in Orlando, Florida from July 10-18 and believes how the pageant is set up with regards to criteria is what makes it so special.
The 32-year-old says she loves that it doesn't discriminate on age, size, height, marital status, or pretty much anything. As the first Ms. Northern Ireland, Anouska hopes to bring home the international crown and title to become the first international title holder in Ireland since 2003.
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She told Be: "The Royal International Miss system is completely different than the few other systems held here. I am 33-years-old, a mother and student, I am 5ft 7 and a plus-size model, not what you may think of when you think of a beauty queen representing her country.
"There is no swimwear round, plenty of optional competitions to enter such as talent, national costume etc, with the main competition being held over a week with interviews, stage work and presence being considered.
"You can be married, you can be divorced, you can have kids, there are no rules with regards to that in comparison to Miss World where you can't be married, you can't have children, you have to be a certain age. This one doesn't have an upper age limit so there are women in my category in their 50s and 60s. Last year one of the oldest contestants was almost 60 and she placed in the top five, so it really goes to show that it doesn't discriminate."
As someone who started out in the traditional world of pageants and modelling, Anousksa wants to be a good role model for all women and prove that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes.
"Beauty to me doesn't come in a one size fits all package, the idea that you have to be a size 6 or 8, or you have to be a certain height and really skinny or slender or athletic, that doesn't define who you are.
"I have been that girl, I have been tiny and now I'm a lot curvier due to my meds and my condition and everything but I haven't changed as a person. So to think that I would be disqualified in a lot of other systems just because of the size label on my clothes or because of my height, which is something you can't change your height, so to be discriminated against because of something you can't change just doesn't sit well with me."
Anouska is a passionate campaigner for the chronic condition Endometriosis, which she has suffered from since she was a teenager.
Endometriosis is estimated to affect around two million women in the UK. Most of them are diagnosed between the ages of 25 and 40. Symptoms can vary significantly from person to person, and some women have no symptoms at all. The most common symptoms include: painful or heavy periods, pain in the lower abdomen, pain during sex, bleeding between periods, or difficulty getting pregnant.
Speaking previously to Belfast Live about the debilitating condition, she said: "The pain can be excruciating, I have been in labour and I would compare the pain. It can feel like contractions.
"The way I describe it is if someone was wrapping barbed wire around my ovary. I would experience that most days at some point. I have collapsed on the street while walking with my mum, I just buckle over. It is a chronic life-debilitating illness, it's hard because on the outside I look OK even if I am in pain."
She admits that despite her health issues she will give it her all at the contest and will ensure she looks after herself.
"It's an anxious time for me at the minute and I've been having flare-ups quite a bit as I've been practising my opening routine, it's a very big production so I am scared to eat certain things when I'm over there because I'm not sure what different foods might cause me to have a flare-up.
"I know the flight will cause me to swell up so we are going over a day early to let everything settle. But all I'm doing at the minute is making sure I'm taking all of my medicines, trying to get as much rest as I can when I can and just trying to have fun."
Explaining how the contest works, Anouska said: "There are two parts to the competition, there's the divisional title which has your interview, your fashion and your eco, so 50% is your walking and presentation, 35% is your interview and then 15% is your speech, so we create a speech about your charity, your platform and just generally about us.
So mine includes my volunteer work for the Hygiene Bank, my platform with Endometriosis awareness, about being a mature student again, just things that I want to talk about.
"There are lots of optional competitions you can do as well out there and I'm just doing one optional otherwise I could be on stage all day every day so I've made the decision to take it back a little as I will need to rest, I can't do as much as the other girls but I will give it my all."
Anouska who is currently studying for her degree in Social Science and Business Management says she would like to see more inclusive competitions here open to all women.
"I fell completely into pageantry by accident, I entered like a modelling competition and was just doing it for a day out and then just caught the bug for it, and that's when I was 26. I had no idea anything like this existed as all we have here is two charity pageants and then your Miss World and that's really sad as there is so much else to be celebrated.
"A 5ft 1 lady has as much inner beauty/outer beauty as a 5ft 9 lady, it doesn't make them any different."
"I hope to lead by example and inspire other girls and women that you do not have to be a size 6 and 6 foot tall to be a beauty queen or enjoy pageantry, showing my journey, continuing to help charities and others fulfil their wildest dreams."
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