Against the bullies
BEAUTY is more than skin deep for teenager Sian Healy who’s been nominated for one of our Coventry and Warwickshire Heroes awards.
The 17-year-old, left, who competed to win the title of Miss Coventry and Warwickshire in April, locked herself away after relentless bullying from girls on Twitter and Facebook and is now a fearless campaigner against trolling.
Although she didn’t win the beauty queen crown, her inspirational bravery means she is in line to win the Young Achiever category of our awards.
During the Coventry and Warwickshire heat of Miss England, Sian organised charity events for MIND raising more than £1,000.
In March, she organised a catwalk event at the Village Hotel where she shared her emotional story of being bullied for the first time.
“You could have heard a pin drop and there was not a dry eye in the room”, said her mum Claire.
“She is now becoming a real ambassador for the charity and raising the issue of cyber bullying and its impact by going into schools to talk to teenagers about the risks of internet trolls.”
The business adminis- trator took home the title of Green Goddess at the Coventry and Warwickshire heat of Miss England after wowing judges with an eco-friendly dress made from wood shavings.
She said: “I couldn’t believe it when my mum told me I had been nominated for a Heroes award! I really enjoyed organising an event and raising money for charity and plan on continuing this in the future.
“It was really hard dragging up my past and what I had gone through at school but with the amount of publicity that it raised if it has encouraged one person to speak out I will have succeeded.”
Claire, 41, said: “When I received the news that Sian had been nominated for an award I felt very emotional but also ecstatic.
“Sian has been very brave and open in raising awareness of cyber bully- ing and sharing her story about what she went through. This is something that she hasn’t always found easy yet her drive and determination despite her own battles has shone through.
“I am extremely proud of the courage she has shown and the amazing work she has done to raise a considerable amount of money for Coventry and Warwickshire MIND a charity so close to her.”