Local mum vies for Mrs Galaxy Australia crown

A NORTH Geelong mother will compete in a national pageant later this month and is using the platform to encourage local men to support the women in their lives to thrive.

Abby Sharma, 32, is a finalist in the Australia Galaxy Pageant, a national competition to be held in Sydney between April 30 and May 3, where she will compete against nine other women in the event’s Mrs category for the title of 2025’s Mrs Galaxy Australia.

Mrs Sharma, who works as a teacher and architect, participated in her first pageant in 2022 as a way to regain confidence after the birth of her son, and quickly grew to love the pastime.

“I call it a guilty pleasure…it brings me so much happiness,” she said. “This is a time when you celebrate yourself, womanhood, and then you get to meet these beautiful women. I know it’s a competition, but it’s also [about] supporting women.

“This is what is really enticing, and this is what is really pulling me into pageants. You get to live your girl’s life back again.”

She said pageantry is less about glamour than it is about “finding your voice” and described it as a platform where women, including young married mothers like herself, are enjoying “the best days” of their lives.

Mrs Sharma said women are capable of “wonders” with the right support and called on the men in the community to support the aspirations of their wives and partners, and encouraged women – regardless of their stage of life – to “follow their dreams”.

“If there’s something that you always wanted to do, even if it’s a small thing like starting your own business, doing your nails, it’s never too late,” she said. “Just follow your dreams and hopefully we can create a world where we can proudly say ‘Behind every successful woman, there’s also a man and together we can shine’.”

The winner of this year’s crown will progress to the next stage of the competition, where they will represent Australia at an international event in Florida next year.