Beauty queen uses platform to spread hope
FOR 22-YEAR-OLD Ellie Brook, pageants are far more than big hair and glamorous dresses, they are a platform to be spread hope and acceptance.
Whilst studying for her GCSEs at Calder High School, Mytholmroyd, Ellie suffered from an eating disorder and was only two pounds away from being admitted to hospital and being fed through a tube.
“My eating disorder made me painfully thin and very poorly, this followed me throughout my A levels at Crossley Heath and in the end I chose to drop out right before my final exams because I had missed so much school work and my confidence was so low.”
Ellie, who was brought up in Luddenden Foot, decided to take a break from education, to figure out what she wanted to pursue in the future. However, less than a year after leaving school, she was assaulted on a night out in Halifax.
“It nearly cost me my life on
GLAM: Ellie all glammed up in her sash and a party dress.
more than one occasion. I cannot put into words the damage that person has caused to myself and my loved ones.
“The last three years have been testing for me as I have felt so isolated. I became someone I didn’t want to be just to conceal how I was really feeling, and I blamed myself for a very long time.
“But now I have an incredible support network around me of friends, family and now settled in a great relationship which is something I never thought would happen.”
Ellie is now studying law and criminal justice at Liverpool John Moores University.
She is a finalist in the Royal International Miss UK and is using her platform to spread awareness of mental health conditions, specifically domestic abuse and eating disorders.
“I want to turn my passion into a career helping other victims as I once was get the justice they deserve.”
Ellie has created the ‘Mental Beauty’ campaign. The project is a safe space for people to celebrate their individuality and post positive stories about themselves. You can follow the project on Instagram (@ebmentalbeauty) and Facebook.
If you would like to contribute to the campaign, email Eleanor.mentalbeauty@gmail. com with your story and a photo of yourself where you feel your most confident.
‘I want to turn my passion into a career helping other victims’
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