Bullying can take a toll on the well-being of others and really influence the way we see ourselves. Identical twins, Lucy and Emily Thomas know this all too well. During their younger years, they were not only taunted and criticized for their weight, but they were also laughed at for wearing matching outfits.
Emily remembers some of the harsh words from her peers,
“People at school really singled us out and took the mick out of us. We always dressed alike and people would shout at us ‘are you wearing the same knickers too?’ It made us both very unconfident, and we suffered from anxiety. We had really low self-esteem and body image issues. It was horrible but no matter what we always had each other.”
As the girls ventured into puberty, they heard of pageants that were intended to promote positive body image. Because they desperately needed this in their life, they decided to give it a shot and entered their very first pageant at the age of 15.
What unfolded next was not only a journey toward finding self-esteem, but it also helped the girls get out of their bubble and create a new sense of community with other friends while helping support charities.
Not only did both girls support and encourage each other to enter the pageant, but they also won. The girls started working together to master their craft and as their appearances changed, so did the way that they felt about themselves.
Emily went on to explain,
“We decided that if we could do pageants, it would be the best way to show people who are struggling with body image issues that they should love and celebrate themselves. Doing the pageant was amazing, it has really helped boost my confidence. All the people are like a big family; there’s a real community.”
Later on, Emily was crowned Miss Teen Divine in 2017 while Lucy was crowned Miss Enchanging World in 2018. Both girls believe whole-heartedly that it was the encouragement and support of each other that not only influenced their entry into their first pageant but kept them focused and driven toward winning such sought-after titles.
Lucy wants people to understand exactly what her sister meant to her throughout the pageant process.
“Thanks to that love and support we’ve both won our first pageants. It’s amazing; I feel so lucky to have a twin. Just like Emily, I feel like whenever one of us wins, we’ve both won. We help each other with everything.”
The girls are not done with the pageant world yet. They both are interested in competing in the Miss Galaxy pageant. However, the duo has made a pact to never compete against each other, and they will likely put off this particular pageant until they are a bit older.
In the meantime, the pair is attending Redhouse College in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales where they are studying the performance arts. They remain close as ever and continue to promote the positivity and self-esteem boost that pageants can provide.
And as Lucy says,
“I want other people to know how much pageants could help them. I want other people who are struggling to be able to feel as happy as I do now.”
Perhaps getting outside of our comfort zones and relying on a strong support network can push us to see our truest potential. These two are certainly proof of that!
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