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<\/p>\nOCEAN Grove beauty Rebecca Watson is feeling on top of the world this week after being named a state finalist in Miss World Australia.<\/p>\n
The 24-year-old childcare worker is now through to the national final to be held in Queensland on July 9.<\/p>\n
Rebecca admits she broke into tears when her name was called out as a top five Victorian finalist during a function at the glamorous Hotel Windsor in Melbourne.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was overwhelmed, there were lots of tears \u2013 I think I was the only one who cried,\u201d she laughs.<\/p>\n
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\u201cI didn\u2019t expect to get through and I was just happy to be participating in something great.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rebecca says it was a last-minute decision to enter the competition and the first time she had done anything like it.<\/p>\n
\u201cI only had about a month to prepare \u2013 it was very last-minute for me compared to a lot of the other girls who had been preparing since September 2019 when the prelims were held,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I was going through a bit of a rough patch in my life where I had the mindset of not feeling that great and I was wondering about the purpose of what I was doing.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love my job but I wanted something more.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Miss World is the largest and longest running international beauty pageant, with past winners including Baywatch movie star Priyanka Chopra and Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai.<\/p>\n
Rebecca says her next step is to hire a pageant coach, continue training and hopefully work with a local fashion label to create an amazing evening gown.<\/p>\n
She is also teaming up with the other Victorian finalists to host a fundraiser for the pageant\u2019s charity partner, Variety.<\/p>\n
\u201cMiss World\u2019s motto is \u2018beauty with a purpose\u2019 which encourages young women to live a compassionate and humanitarian life, which is one of the sole reasons I joined,\u201d Rebecca says.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe charity being Variety, which helps children, is a cause I naturally gravitate towards because of my line of work and family values.\u201d<\/p>\n
At the national final Rebecca will be judged on her question and answer, public speaking and evening gown.<\/p>\n
\u201cI absolutely want to give it my best crack,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
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\u201cThe idea is to win and I am going to strive to do my absolute best because I do want to win just as much as all the other girls.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I\u2019m also looking at it as a new journey for me, no matter what happens afterwards, I would like to keep helping people and be open to presenting jobs or wherever it might land me.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve already had a couple of modelling agencies and brands contact me about doing photoshoots so it\u2019s kind of all happening.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs I posted on my Instagram \u2018no risk, no magic\u2019 \u2013 I\u2019ve taken the risk and a bit of magic has come out of it which I\u2019m really grateful for.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rebecca loves living on the Bellarine Peninsula where she has plenty of family support and enjoys coffee catch-ups with friends and regular beach walks.<\/p>\n
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But she also feels ready to test the waters of what lies beyond her \u201csafe coastal bubble\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cI used to have these dreams where I wanted to do something like this but I cared too much what other people thought,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know it\u2019s not everyone\u2019s cup of tea or they may not see it is as something they would do, but it\u2019s definitely something I\u2019m keen to do and maybe even represent my country.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd hopefully I can do my local community proud too.\u201d<\/p>\n
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OCEAN Grove beauty Rebecca Watson is feeling on top of the world this week after being named a state finalist in Miss World Australia. The 24-year-old childcare worker is now through to the national final to be held in Queensland on July 9. Rebecca admits she broke into tears when her name was called out […]<\/p>\n