Falkirk's Chantelle McSharry is Miss Voluptuous UK

A Falkirk woman has been crowned Miss Voluptuous UK.
By Fiona Dobie
Published 28th Jul 2022, 14:59 BST
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Chantelle McSharry was named the winner at the pageant held in Grantham earlier this month.

The 28-year-old is “delighted” to have won the competition.

She said: “It feels absolutely amazing.

Chantelle McSharry travelled to the pageant final with family and friends who had donned masks of her face for the occasion.Chantelle McSharry travelled to the pageant final with family and friends who had donned masks of her face for the occasion.
Chantelle McSharry travelled to the pageant final with family and friends who had donned masks of her face for the occasion.

"It was my first pageant I’d competed in and I wasn’t expecting to actually win it.

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"It was very different to what I expected from a pageant and from what you see on film and television.

"The whole experience was so empowering.

"It didn’t feel like I was competing in a pageant, it was more like an empowerment programme.

Chantelle McSharry, second right, was crowned Miss Voluptuous UK at the recent pageant in Grantham.Chantelle McSharry, second right, was crowned Miss Voluptuous UK at the recent pageant in Grantham.
Chantelle McSharry, second right, was crowned Miss Voluptuous UK at the recent pageant in Grantham.

"Everyone was so supportive.

"It’s been great to use the platform to help raise awareness of blood clots.”

Chantelle was found to have two blood clots in her lungs shortly after being accepted to take part in the Miss Voluptuous pageant.

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After discovering very little information was available about them during an anxious wait to see health specialists, she decided to use her involvement in the pageant to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms.

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She is the first UK ambassador for American charity The National Blood Clot Alliance and runs her own support group locally for those with blood clots.

Chantelle said: “I was a very healthy individual who didn’t have any health conditions when I was diagnosed.

"Mine were unprovoked.

"It doesn’t matter about your age or how healthy you are, blood clots can happen to anyone.

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"I am trying to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms as people don’t always realise the severity of them.

"They don’t just affect you physically, the anxiety and trauma can affect you mentally too.”

Now Chantelle says she will continue to raise awareness of blood clots through her online platform, Unmask the Clot, and she’s looking forward to competing internationally in Miss Voluptuous next year.

She added: “I’ll be competing in April next year in Denver, Colorado for the title of Miss Voluptuous International.

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"I’d encourage other women who might not have the confidence to apply for Miss Voluptuous to do it.

"It’s amazing to see other women grow from strength to strength and to be part of a community like that.”

Related topics:FalkirkGrantham

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