By GEORGIA WESTGARTH
THIS Hampton Park single mum isn’t a Miss or a Mrs, she’s a Ms and proud of it.
Nathalie Nicole is off to Reno, Nevada, USA, to compete in this year’s Ms Universal International pageant.
Chosen as the Australian delegate, it will be Nathalie’s first opportunity to represent Oz on the world stage.
“This is Australia’s first chance ever at this title, this trip is already pageant history in the making,” Nathalie said.
And if the 34-year-old takes home the glittering gold, she will be bringing the pageant down under.
“There is no directorship for the Ms Universal International pageant in Australia, that’s one of the reasons why I want to get as much awareness about the pageant as possible,” she said.
“If I did actually win, the 2017 Ms Universal finals would be held in Melbourne and that’s never happened before.
“Just because you are not married or are divorced with children shouldn’t mean you miss out on the same opportunities that other women get.”
The pageant is aimed at women over the age of 25, and Nathalie, who recently graduated with a degree in criminology, said it was a pageant with a difference.
“It’s not just about how you look, it’s about donating your time whether you help out a charity or organisation or raise awareness for a particular cause,” she said adding that her chosen charity is JDRF Australia (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) after a friend’s child was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.
“It’s specifically for single mums or divorced women because we don’t get the same opportunities in pageants which are titled Miss or Mrs.”
Flying the flag for Australian single mums and divorced women, Nathalie will compete against 70 other Ms contestants from around the world in July.
“I am proud of my Ms title, it’s been a struggle, but I earnt it,” Nathalie said.
“I want to bring the pageant to Australia to give other mums the opportunity to get on stage and talk about who they are and what they believe in.”
