Maya Boileau’s recent efforts have motivated her to reach future competitions
An East Yorkshire teenager who is taking sports by storm is using her platform to promote a positive mental health message to her peers. Maya Boileau, from nearby Cottingham, has just returned from a national championship where she placed second – and has spoken of her determination to continue.
The 16-year-old, who studies textiles, drama and history and hopes to one day become a criminal psychologist, has been competing in competitions for about 18 months. In autumn 2024 she took part in Miss Teen Great Britain, placing in the top 15.
Last year she entered the Miss Teen Galaxy UK competition where women competed for a chance to go to the world finals in America. Having achieved a top 12 ranking in last year’s event, Maya was eager to take part again.
He has dedicated a whole year to preparing for this event, which is held in Chorley. Months of behind-the-scenes work helped Maya wow the judges, earning her a spot as first runner-up, and a free spot in next year’s competition.
Maya explained: “You are judged by your presence on stage, how you act, how you communicate – many different things. I had training to walk for two stages which included fashion wear, which is very good where you have to have a lot of presence on stage, and evening wear, which is where you wear a dress and you have to show elegance and grace to express yourself.
“Then you have a long three-minute interview where you can be asked any question. That’s where they get to know you, and you’re judged on that. Each round is worth 33% of the points.”
The Newland Girls’ School student, who is in her final year, managed to compete with about 35 other girls in her class. The three-day event includes networking, rehearsals and judging, culminating in a show on Saturday night.
Maya explained: “I always wanted to compete in sports, ever since I was little and I watched this show called Toddlers and Tiaras. One day, I decided that I was bored with my life and I wanted to try something new, so I applied to Miss Teen Great Britain and after that I wanted to continue.”
And not only did Maya represent East Yorkshire in the national competition, she also used her platform to promote ‘Beyond Worry’ – a campaign she started in September last year that encourages young people to open up about their doubts, build confidence, and support each other. The idea stemmed from Maya’s anxiety problems and led her to raise money for mental health charity Mind.
She explained: “I’ve been doing things like sharing coping strategies and different activities you can do to reduce anxiety. And in the background, before we all competed, I had made little bags with motivational words, stress balls and other sweets to help all the girls out because I knew the nerves would go before they got to the stage.”
As the international competition continues, Maya hopes to take her message to a wider audience and raise more money for charity. For his mother, Jessica, the effort was a source of great pride.
Jessica said: “I’ve seen how far she’s come in the last 18 months. It’s not just being beautiful, it’s hard work behind the scenes. I’m so proud of her.
“It’s great that she continues to do what she’s doing and help other girls.”
Did you know you can make Hull Live your favorite Hull news source on Google, meaning you get our latest, exclusive, and must-read stories instantly? Here are some details about what this means and how you can do it – you can do it right away to click here.
#Cottingham #teenager #Maya #shines #Teen #Galaxy