SAMANTHA Deacon's decision to enter the Tamworth showgirl competition turned out to be a life changing move.
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Ms Deacon took out the title and - while it comes with some perks - she is already using the platform to spark a conversation about mental health.
Ms Deacon has been proudly wearing her Dolly's Dream shirt beneath her showgirl sash.
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She wants people to start talking more about mental health.
"There is so much awareness about depression mental health within the region, but not many people actually want to talk about it," she said.
"So if they people wandering around with Dolly's Dream or Dust Off Depression shirts, they are more likely to start a conversation."
This week, the 2019 showgirl headed to Tamworth's New Zealand sister-city, Gore, to help with its show and bring home some ideas.
It's her first solo trip overseas and it came about as part of her title win.
"We go over there and give them a hand and they come over here and give us a hand," she said.
"We learn a bit about each other and each other's show.