Local girl's Miss Earthtitle hope

Courtney McCloskey is representing Lisburn as Richmond Centre Miss Lisburn at the NI final which is being held on May 28 at the Playhouse Theatre.

Miss Earth is celebrating its 17th year of beauty and responsibility and is one of the TOP 3 and most prestigious pageants alongside Miss World and Miss Universe.

The 18-year-old stunner told the Ulster Star that the competition is more about the message that the environmental participants promote.

Courtney said: “This is my first pageant and it’s such an amazing opportunity, which I’m privileged to be apart off. I encourage all girls to recommend looking into the pageant in the future, as not only is it about building a safety net for our environment, but it’s also about building one’s self esteem and confidence in their ability to standout and make a difference. “I wasn’t interested in the pageant world until my mum informed me about Miss Earth and the wonders that this pageant brings. “It’s not much about the natural beauty of the girls, but more the message they want to promote.

“Being a mentor and role model throughout my school years to the young ones was very important to me and throughout this pageant my eco message is to stress the importance of protecting our environment, especially to young children - as they are our future.”

The NI winner will receive an impressive prize package, including a once in a lifetime trip to the world finals of one of the most prestigious beauty competitions in the world and walk away with an enviable prize list. She added: “So far into my journey I’ve met some of the most amazing girls. I’ve never experienced or witnessed a pageant that has so much love and support to give to one another.”

“Although it is a competition at the end of the day, competitiveness isn’t a characteristic that our girls have learnt to develop. The competition has only one term to describe it, “Sister hood” and i’m so excited to grow and learn more with these amazing people.”