Lana reaches out with Miss GB bid
A woman from Bath is competing for the title of Miss Great Britain while raising awareness about eating disorders.
This weekend in Leicester, Lana Kelly, 21, will be representing Bath at the 75th anniversary final of the beauty pageant – her firstever pageant.
Lana said: “It is a real privilege to have been selected out of thousands of applicants to be a finalist in such a prestigious pageant.
“It is far more than a beauty contest – it is about charity, sisterhood and is a platform for which young women compete for the honour of being able to become a role model and use their voices to inspire, support and encourage people to be great.
“This ideology inspired me personally after overcoming an extensive battle with an eating disorder – something that affects a huge percentage of men and women across the nation.”
She said that during her time as
Miss Bath she had used social media to raise awareness of the effects of eating disorders and how they could be overcome.
She added: “My reasons for entering stem from me overcoming an extreme battle with my own mental health – one which just last year had me almost lose my life to an eating disorder.
“I had been convinced by my own mind that to be accepted in this world I had to be as thin as possible, to be ‘perfect,’ and if I weren’t, then there was no point in me being here.”
Lana said she was “so glad” she had accepted help.
“I feel as though I have been given a second chance, a platform to help raise awareness of mental health, to share my own story and be a listening ear to others,” she added. “And I am thankful that Miss GB has given me even more of a platform to help others.
“There is a common misconception that pageantry is simply a vanity contest, based purely on looks. But that could not be more wrong. It is about empowerment, intellect, strength, bravery, sisterhood, charity and, yes, beauty, but internal beauty also. I am honoured to be a part of an organisation that makes me feel all of those things.”
All the finalists have been raising money for their personal charities as well as for the organisation’s chosen ones of Cancer Research UK and Alex’s Wish.
Lana said: “I’ll be doing my utmost to reach my fundraising goal over the course of the next year. Everyone’s donations, no matter how big or how small, make a huge difference.”
To donate, go to https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/ and search ‘Lana Kelly.’