Dollingstown woman to represent Ireland and the UK at International United Miss beauty pageant in Florida

Anouska Black is preparing to jet off to Florida in the coming weeks to participate in International United Miss, representing Ireland and the United Kingdom.

Anouska has been involved in pageantry for over a decade, during which time she has used her platform to highlight both women’s health and mental health issues.

"I am now 36 years old and a mother, two identities that disqualify me from many grand slam systems such as Miss NI/Ireland, and not what you may think of when you think of a beauty queen representing her country,” she said.

"But it is my mission to show that age, size and physical ability does not define your worth or stop you from chasing your dreams.”

Anouska, whose family includes partner Daryl, step daughters Mollie (19) and Eva (16), and 17-year-old son Bailey, described how she first got involved in pageants in her 20s. “I was modelling for different companies and magazines and whilst bedbound in recovery from my third surgery for endometriosis, I came across the Face of NI on social media.

"I actually thought was a modelling competition, [but] to my surprise it was a pageant, something that I had never even considered due to being 26 and a mother. The only pageant I had heard of at the time was the Miss NI competition, which excluded me for such things. To my delight, the Face of Europe and the World pageant had no such restrictions, was inclusive and was heavily-charity based.”

Anouska won the Miss Congeniality title at the NI competition, later winning the Face of UK Photographic heat. “I then went on to compete in The Face of Europe and the World grand finals held in Paris and placed 9th, which for my first international patient was great! I caught the ‘pageant bug' and went on to direct the Face of NI, UK Photographic and Miss Northern Irish Beauty charity pageants for the next few years, but soon had the urge to get back up on stage.”

Anouska went on to pick up titles in Ms Crown & Glory and Royal International Miss United Kingdom. “I loved how pageantry gave me a platform to raise awareness for endometriosis, but also give back and raise awareness for charities that rely on donations,” she said.

With community work a core element of the International United Miss (IUM) system, entrants are required to undertake at least three hours of community service – an aspect for which Anouska has gone over and above after clocking up 50 hours.

As a Project P Period ambassador, she has donated over 120 safe sanitary products to New-Bridge Integrated College and her former school, Lurgan College, along with donations to Craigavon Area Foodbank and the Southern Health and Social Care Trust for patients affected by baby loss through miscarriage, mid trimester loss and stillbirth.

The local mum is keen to raise awareness of endometriosis, a condition she was diagnosed with at age 19. “Endometriosis (endo) was a word I had never heard of before, couldn't pronounce and had no idea what it meant. Endometriosis has been found on every organ of the body; it is not just a gynae or reproductive disease and I believe deserves to be recognised as the chronic illness it is,” Anouska said.

"With my platform 'Just Chat Endo' I am focussing on the mental health side of living with a debilitating disease. I want to help break the stigma around saying the word period, normalising the conversation about menstruation and female health and encouraging women to just have a chat about their physical and mental feeling to their GP, partner or friend.

"Having three surgeries, being in medical menopause several times, being on prescription opioids, hormone therapies, suffering with an eating disorder and self harm and living with chronic pain, endo affects more than just me - it has affected my partner, my kids, friends and family. It is a worldwide problem. There is so much needs done for us. I am a proud advocate for endometriosis warriors across the globe.”

Anouska is also ambassador for the Just A Chat mental health charity. “Just A Chat was formed in 2022 by two very close friends of mine, after responding to a young man in crisis in the Craigavon area. Just A Chat was born out of a clear and urgent need: to bridge the gap between people in distress and the support they desperately need. Since then, our mission has grown into a vital community resource. We are dedicated to ensuring that no one in our community feels alone or unsure of where to turn in times of mental health crisis. I have experienced poor mental health first-hand and did not know where or who to turn to, coped poorly, and wished there was something like this available when I was struggling.”

As for what lies ahead during the International United Miss pageant, Anouska is looking forward to representing her country on a global stage. “I am now just days away from flying to America, meeting my sister queens from all over the world and living my best life on stage in front of hundreds of people,” she added. “An amazing accomplishment for 'a wee girl from a wee country', and one I forever extremely proud of and grateful for.”

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