Megan prepares for top beauty pageant
Miss Perth also looks forward to charity activities
Miss Perth is preparing to take to the national stage in a prestigious beauty competition later this year.
Megan Darlington (19) from Oakbank will be strutting her stuff on the catwalk at the UK Power Pageant and raising money for a number of charities later this year.
Beauty queen Megan will travel down to the competition in Lancashire on June 23 and 24, where she will be running for Miss Grand Scotland, Miss Intercontinental Scotland and Miss International.
The former Perth High School pupil said she is looking forward to taking on her first major pageant. If she wins any of the top titles, she could go on to international beauty competitions in Myanmar, the Dominican Republic and Japan.
She said: “Me and my friend were talking and she said I should enter and now I am Miss Perth.
“I am looking forward to it, but I am a bit nervous. I think it is more to prove to myself that I can do this and gain some confidence. And, hopefully this will open some doors for me and give me some opportunities.”
During the competition, Megan will need to take part in a boot camp, followed by rigorous rehearsals before she takes to the stage for the grand final.
One of the elements of the competition she is most looking forward to is raising money for a number of local charities.
The auxiliary nurse said: “I have been raising money since I was in primary school, so to carry that on is something I will enjoy, and it gives me a wee bit of a challenge.
“When you are doing pageants it is all about what you do in your community, so I will be supporting I Love Lily [for Lily Douglas, a young girl from Tulloch who is receiving treatment for cancer] and Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance [based at Perth Airport].
“Lily Douglas never stops and she is a gutsy kid. It is good for others going through cancer treatment to see it is possible to keep going. She is quite a role model for kids.
“I have horses as well so I know a lot of people who have had accidents up in the forests, and SCAA have been able to get to them quickly when a car couldn’t reach them, and they rely solely on donations.
“Each pageant also has its own chosen charity, so I will also be raising money for Christies cancer charity.
“I want to push myself and make a bit of an effort so I will be doing a bungee jump [at Highland Fling, Killiecrankie] on Saturday, March 17.”
Megan will also be doing a 25-mile “run at your own pace” challenge and hosting a charity night for her chosen causes.
To realise her beauty queen dreams, Megan will also be sponsored by a number of local businesses, including Party Box, Ivory Whites and Club 300 Gym. She added: “I hope I will do well at this. It’s not all about beauty, it’s about personality and showing you want to be there.”
To support Megan Darlington’s bungee jump this weekend, visit her JustGiving page www.justgiving.com/ fundraising/megan-darlington Megan Darlington is Miss Perth