EMILY Egan wants to address the negative stereotypes surrounding beauty pageants.

Last month the 24-year-old was crowned Miss Galaxy Australia 2022 and says, as a big advocate for smashing glass ceilings, she’ll use her new title to continue the fight against the “unfortunate” stereotype.

In the Galaxy Australia system, the motto is “be the best version of you”, and the judges focus their attention on women who have purpose, and platforms.

“Beauty and brains are not mutually exclusive, you don’t need to pick one or the other,” says Emily, who is a promising example.

“I have done my bachelor of media and communications at the University of Canberra, and I loved it.

“Storytelling and people are what is really important to me, and that fits with communication and networking. I have a job in the public service as a communications adviser and I really want to grow in that and become a communications manager in the long term.”

Going to a pageant, or watching a pageant will help to change people’s misconceptions, Emily believes.

“You will 100 per cent see the calibre of women in pageantry. Some of the women that I have met at pageants are the most well-rounded and academically gifted people I’ve met,” she says.

“If I had never been to, let’s say, a basketball game, and never knew anyone who played basketball, then how could I assume or pretend to have an understanding of basketball?

“I’m very much not what you would say is a perfect pageant girl and I loved that Galaxy wasn’t about this perfect image.”

The Galaxy Pageants, Emily says, are about being who you are, owning that, and being confident in yourself.

“When I came back the third time, this year, I thought I was really going to be myself and I think that’s what helped me win.”

Emily has been modelling for many years, and doing beauty pageants for six, with 2022 marking her third attempt at the Miss Galaxy Australia title.

The biggest difference between the Galaxy pageant and pageants such as Miss Universe, is that the Galaxy pageant has four divisions, Teen, Miss, Ms and Mrs.

“But we still have a state final, a national final and an international final,” she says.

“The biggest thing for me is just how big of a victory this is for Canberra and I want to state that this is not Emily Egan winning Miss Galaxy Australia, it’s that this is the first title that has ever come to Canberra.”

And Emily made it very clear, as the only ACT candidate, she wasn’t getting lumped in with NSW.

“When I went on stage I was very particular about saying ‘Emily Egan – ACT’. They asked if I could say NSW and I said, heck no.”

Now, Emily’s getting ready to represent Canberra internationally.

“I’m going to Texas in August to compete in Galaxy International. I’ll be Australia’s delegate, which is so exciting and nerve-wracking,” she says.

“I feel like doing this three times, and training for six years have really prepared me to have Australia across my chest and talk about Canberra and all the things that matter to me.”

Emily says her family has been getting their cars serviced with Car Mechanical Services in Fisher for “centuries, or as long as I can remember,” so it made sense to go to them for sponsorship.

The owners, Raffy and Charlie Sgroi, covered Emily’s competition entrance fees and flights.

“Now they’re sponsoring me for internationals as well, so it’s a massive team effort and it’s about community. Raffy and Charlie do so much charity and community work themselves and so it just ended up being a perfect match,” she says.

“Who knows what will happen at internationals, maybe there might be a win there, maybe I might be a placing, but it will be me going out with a bang at my big last one. We’ll call it a day on pageants, it’s been a long road.”