TYLER-Jane Lumsden openly admits she entered Miss World Australia to get attention.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The twist is, it’s not so much for herself.
The Tamworth resident has made it through to the state finals in July but said she was excited above all to have a platform for the cause she cares about the most.
“I’m really passionate about mental health, especially rural areas, and thought this would be a good way to be heard,” Miss Lumsden said.
“I think there’s a lack of spokespeople that really represent the values and needs of young rural communities, so I thought instead of complaining about it, I’d do something myself.”
Miss Lumsden, who works as a pathologist and a model, contested the preliminary final in Campbelltown earlier this month.
Along with the beauty and fashion component – for which she chose to support a local small business and wear Just Irresistible gowns – she was interviewed about current world and political issues.
‘They slip through the cracks’
She said her pageant participation was also a vehicle to share the “epidemic, especially in rural areas” of mental health issues.
“Having struggled with mental health while I was living in Curlewis, I had to travel to Tamworth to see a psychologist,” she said.
“Even then, I was limited to the number of appointments I could have because of the high demand, and there were long waits for appointments.
“It’s not quick enough when someone is suicidal.
Read also:
“The help they do have in place is fantastic – once you get it – but young people, especially, just slip through the cracks.
“It’s too hard to get help and they die.
“I’m only 22, and I’ve already lost half a dozen friends I went to school with, who have died by suicide.”
Miss Lumsden said she hoped to organise an event to raise money towards and awareness of the issue.
In the meantime, she has a couple of other projects on the boil.
As part of her Miss World Australia efforts, she’s raising money for Variety Australia: The Children’s Charity, to help children with special needs or disadvantage.
She’s also gearing up to do the Ration Challenge, for which she’ll live on the same amount of food and drink as a Syrian refugee living in a camp in Jordan.
She aims to raise $500 for each of those causes by the end of the month.
- To donate to Variety Australia: The Children’s Charity: https://missworldaustralia2018.everydayhero.com/au/tyler-jane-lumsden-beauty-with-a-purpose
- To donate to the Ration Challenge: https://my.rationchallenge.org.au/tyler-jane-lumsden and