Beauty queen aiming to represent Walsall - and young women - on a national stage
A woman who will represent Walsall in a national pageant is hoping to highlight that females can be feminine and athletic at the same. time.
Freya Avery will compete in the Miss Galaxy UK national finals in Chorley, Lancashire in March.
The current Miss Walsall, the 22 year-old sports mad graduate has taken on the boys - literally - in American football and has played in mixed teams as well as all female ones.
After taking up the sport when someone threw her a football at the freshers fair at Worcester University, she first joined the college team and then played for the successful Birmingham Lions Women as a wide receiver and Staffordshire Surge.
Freya is also passionate about lacrosse and golf and competed at university in karate at European and international levels for the England squad before graduating in Law and now boasts an MA in Legal Practice. She aims to join the army as a lawyer and hopefully represent their American football team alongside her work.
The Philadelphia Eagles fan who lives in Cannock, will compete against women from all over the UK in the final of Miss Galaxy UK with five winners travelling to the USA to compete in the Galaxy International Pageant.
She is hoping to inspire the judges in the national final with her experiences, although also also looking forward to ditching her helmet and shoulder pads for a dress, a sash and a Tiara over the three days of the competition.
She said: "The American football came about randomly at the freshers event but I gave it a go along with the two other girls in a male team and it went from there.
"I love the sport and the teams I have been in have been very successful at it, and now I coach flag football at Staffordshire University to the potential female players of the future
"I decided to do this pageant to show girls that they can be both athletic and feminine, and that sport, confidence, and ambition can exist together and will also be proud to represent Walsall on a national stage.
"There will be team building, photoshoots, opportunities to address the judges with your story of how you arrived there and of course the chance to dress up for the pageant which I am already planning with my friend, who is Miss Stoke-on-Trent
"It will also help me get my message across of promoting myself and other competitive women as a positive role model for young girls which is very important. "
Before the final, and her impending graduation, Freya is planning to continue in the New Year working with schools, sports teams and St Giles Hospice to promote independence and leadership in young people."
