A former child beauty pageant winner now has her eyes on the prize – winning this year’s Miss England.
Olivia Warner, 19, was born in Florida, where she won Little Miss Florida aged five, before making the move to England as a child.
She is now currently training to be an aesthetic practitioner in Manchester but it has always been her dream to win Miss England.
READ MORE: Miss England star backs return of sexy bikini round after decade-long ban
The teenager has been doing pageants ever since she was three years old and is determined to eventually make it to Miss World.
Olivia exclusively spoke to the Daily Star about how an abusive relationship put her dream on hold – but she’s back with a vengeance.
“I wanted to enter Miss England last year but I was in an abusive relationship with my ex-partner and I had no confidence left as he took that away from me and told me I would never win,” she explained.
“He made me feel really insecure about myself. I shared my story on Facebook about what he did to me and had a huge response that made me brave [enough] to come forward.
“This year I feel like I am definitely confident and ready for the competition.”
Olivia is extremely grateful to have made it this far and is excited for what’s to come – and her pageant dreams don’t end here.
“Winning would be such a big achievement for me as my dream is to then go and compete for Miss World,” she shared.
“It would also be a blessing to become a role model to young girls and have a platform to speak out about domestic violence being unacceptable.”
Olivia was only five years old when she won Little Miss Florida, four when she won Little Miss Americas Cover Miss and three she won the Miss Sweet Pee Pageant in West Palm Beach.
This competition is the brunette beauty’s comeback, as she hasn’t been on stage since she was 12 years old when she opened Miss Yorkshire, which her mum directed at the time.
“To people that say pageants are outdated I would have to completely disagree,” she said.
“Beauty contests go back to 1921, in Atlantic City New Jersey. I think you can see how far they have grown and how much fashion has changed.
“Many pageant winners also raise money for charity and stand for good causes being given a voice on this very important platform.”
The Miss England competition is considered to be the most respected title in England.
It is also the only competition in the country to send its winner to represent England in the Miss World Contest.
A decade ago the contest ditched the controversial swimwear stage after complaints of sexism but things of now changed.
Organisers have decided to bring the round back but this time, instead of walking down the catwalk in a bikini, participants are invited to post an image of themselves in the revealing gear on their social media sites.
Olivia said: “The bikini round was always a part of pageants in the USA I think it is a tradition and should definitely be brought back.”
The teen has the support of her friends and family behind her, as well as the positive response she received on social media.
She also has her past experiences in pageants helping her confidence.
“My friends and family are really proud of me and are rooting for me to win,” she said.
“My strengths are that I will feel confident I know I belong in pageants as I’ve been in so many when I was younger it is my destiny.”
READ NEXT:
- Curvy model shows difference between 'real and fake' snaps by going filter-free
- 'I'm human and have a heart, people should respect my plastic surgery decisions'
- Body positive babe slams vile trolls who call her 'slut' for showcasing curves
- 'My stretch marks aren't because I've had a baby – they're a sign of strength'
For more lifestyle stories, sign up to the free Hot Topics newsletter here.
Source: Read Full Article