Queen Saturday: Yes Curves Can! Kat Henry

With so many exciting things happening with Sparkles and Rhinestones, it's time to dive back in with Queen Saturday! This week's Queen is no stranger to Sparkles, having been interviewed as part of the winning International Curve queens and she is now one of our lovely presenters so you would of see her lovely face around. 

Here she is telling you more about her pageant journey, enjoy! 

Welcome Kat! So as the Inspirational Award winner of Past Queen, tell us about your new pageant ventrue? 

I am currently a finalist competing for the title of Ms Great Britain. The finals take place in Feb 2020 so I have a while to go yet but that hasn't stopped me getting prepared at all. I've picked my gown, my swimwear sponsor have sent my outfit and I am just on the lookout for an opening round ensemble so I'm pretty much good to go.

 From the minute I received my sash (some months ago now as I was the first "Ms" contestant announced) I threw myself into promoting the Miss GB system at every possible opportunity. As this will be a brand new title for the Miss Great Britain family, I understand how important it is to be out

in the public forum making as much noise as possible. The addition of this category in itself is a HUGE step towards diversity and inclusivity so I want to make sure that it gets all the attention it deserves. I have loads more exciting projects lined up between now and pageant day so even though I may be done outfits wise, this is not the time to be taking my foot off the gas.  Full steam ahead!!

It's amazing to be a part of history! Very excited to watch you on stage, but it's not the first time you have graced a pageant catwalk! Can you tell us a bit more about how you got into pageants?

I entered my first pageant in 2014 on a whim, never expecting to be picked let alone to win. I took home several awards and the title of Ms British Beauty Curve 2015/16. For the longest time I wanted to be a #GalaxyGirl so after seeing a fellow curvy lady; Sarah-Louise Pritchard take home the crown, I was inspired to compete myself. I took part in UK Galaxy in early 2017 and it was such an amazing

experience. I loved every second of being up on that stage and I competed alongside two of my best friends, Sam & Leah. I was ecstatic to place within the top 10 and even got to see Leah grab a place in the top 5 - it was so much fun.

After Galaxy, my former directors for Miss British Beauty Curve launched the International sister system; Miss International Curve and I jumped at the opportunity to represent England in the first year. I was extremely lucky to have been crowned the inaugural winner of the title of Ms International Curve 2017/18. I had planned to take a breather from competing but when I saw Miss GB open their doors for the ladies over the age of 28 for their 75th Anniversary I couldn't possibly miss out on the opportunity to represent Great Britain on such a grand scale.

Now we all know, pageant girls never realy press pause on those competing heels! So aside from competing and dominating the plus size social media game, can you tell us a bit more about your pageant platform? 

I advocate for positive change towards equality, diversity and inclusivity for ALL. I campaign for many areas of society which are underrepresented or misunderstood. I believe that we should all be worthy of love, respect and success regardless of our age, gender, ability, race, size or any other quality that makes us unique. I campaign to end the stigma surrounding mental health.

 I launched my own project called The "Yes I Can Initiative" which was designed to eradicate negative perceptions, stereotypes and misconceptions of people all over the world, helping to create a more positive and less judgemental society for all. As a Ms GB finalist I will also be raising money and awareness for the two chosen charities; Alex's Wish and Cancer Research.

If you were lucky enough to be crowned the first ever Ms Great Britain winner, what would you do with your year? 

I would love the opportunity to help the Miss GB family cement this category into a regular occurrence. Being the first Queen in a newly launched category is quite a responsibility as it will require a lot of hard work, resilience and dedication and I feel that I am capable of helping this system grow this category to new heights. I would also use my year to continue my work to break down barriers and negative stereotypes against the underrepresented communities in society. I plan to make waves out here and whether I take home the crown or not, my work will continue as I am passionate about making positive change.

Lastly, do you have any advice for curvy queens looking to enter mainstream pageantry?

Do not let anything hold you back. If you want something in life, work hard and dedicate yourself to your journey. Tenacity, dedication and resilience is needed in this world to succeed but there is definitely enough space out there for everyone to find success if you are prepared to go the distance. My biggest tip is to be unapologetically yourself. You do not need to conform of change to meet society's requirements...you are all fabulous just the way you are. There are many strong positive role models to look up to. Women of all sizes, ages, abilities and races in many different systems so find a family that fits you and most importantly enjoy every second.

You can follow Kat's journey at @Kat Henry and on instagram @kat_v_henry