Not many people know this, but the year that I won Miss Universe Australia was the year that the country was first experiencing lockdowns on a global scale. Winning that title and preparing to represent my country in Miami was a daunting feat, made more daunting by the fact that interstate travel was barely happening - so access to suppliers, designers & coaches was very difficult.

In addition, prior to Miss Universe, I had no modelling experience and was entirely green to the field. I believe I won on a campaign of inclusivity, the messages I believed in, my ability to be a voice and that was where my confidence came from. Thelma became more than someone who trained me, she became a friend and an emotional support. She offered her support to me prior to winning and was consistent from that moment onward. Thelma has an incredibly valuable ability to meet someone & understand who they are, their strength and areas of opportunity for improvement.

As I mentioned, she understood that I was green, and didn’t put pressure on me to be something that I wasn’t - like a runway model. Instead, she coached me to harness where my confidence came from and leverage that for my walk. When she became my coach, she rooted her training in teaching me to walk with conviction because of my belief in what I had to say. To this day, I’ll never forget what she taught me – that learning to walk confidently is not about modelling and it wasn’t even about the Miss Universe stage, it is about presence and letting it the world know who you are. Thelma taught me to walk in a way that introduced myself to the world without needing to say a word and it is a skill I carry with me no matter what room I walk in to, to this day.

Despite travel and lockdown restrictions, Thelma and her family made time for me over zoom using the resources at our disposal and even welcomed me to their home when flight restrictions were finally lifted. I only had four days in person to be coached by her… And that was more than enough, because I ended up walking my way to the top 10 of the global competition in 2021. I’m so grateful for her mentorship and friendship.