No, they’re not sisters ... one of these women is a grandmother!
WITH their matching blonde hair, flawless skin and sparkling blue eyes, Laurie and Amy Meisak are often mistaken for sisters.
But while Amy is 24, Laurie is actually a glamorous grandmother of 55.
The youthful mum-of-four has been taking the beauty pageant scene by storm after following in her pageant queen daughter Amy’s footsteps.
Appearing in her first competition last week, which saw her daringly strip down to her swimwear, the grandmother- oftwo wowed the judges to be crowned first runner-up at the Mrs Galaxy UK final. Laurie said competing in the pageant has given her a new lease of life, and she now wants to inspire women of all shapes and sizes to have more confidence.
Daughter Amy, who gave her mum lessons on how to impress on the catwalk, started competing when she was 19 and currently holds the title of Miss Grand International Scotland.
She previously reached the final of Miss World Supermodel and represented Scotland in the Miss Earth competition in Vienna.
The pair claim they are often mistaken for sisters – and Laurie says she regularly does a double take when looking through their family photos. ‘A lot of people say we look like sisters. Amy and I look very similar,’ said the hairdresser from hamilton, South Lanarkshire. ‘We have a make-up artist friend who did our make-up for the pageants and she said it’s uncanny how alike we are.
‘Sometimes when I’m scrolling through pictures of Amy I have to go back because I think it’s me and she does the same.’
Discussing her first pageant experience, she said: ‘I’m a mum of four and I’ve never done anything like this before.
‘I’ve always been a cheerleader for my children ... I never thought I would be on the receiving end.
‘I’ve never felt this good in my life and I’ve loved every second. No woman should feel as if she’s past her sell-by date or has a shelf life ... If I can do it anyone can.’
She added: ‘Amy was 19 when she did her first pageant and she came third ... She’s my inspiration. She said to me “I think you should do something” and I said “don’t be ridiculous, not at my age”. And she said “Mum in 15 years you’ll be 70 and won’t be able to do anything like that”.’
Laurie, who is a healthy size 12, admitted her ‘knees were knocking’ when she first took to the stage, but said she was glad to have gone out of her comfort zone. ‘I felt so proud of myself,’ she said. ‘I feel 21 again.
‘I thought I would just end up doing the one but I’ve got the bug now and I would encourage women of any age to have a bash.’
‘Sometimes I think she’s me in photos’