By Jessica Aquilina
Carlingford resident Yolandi Franken was crowned Mrs Australia at the Mrs Australia Quest in the Hunter Valley on Saturday.
The actor, producer and model beat 10 others after scoring highly in a number of categories including health and fitness, swimwear and a Q & A to take the crown in the pageant which raises awareness and funds for ovarian cancer.
The local beauty queen said she was in complete shock when she was named as this year’s winner.
“It feels weird,” Mrs Franken said.
“We were doing rehearsals the day before and we were learning about how to accept the crown. I wasn’t really listening and I was distracted by other things because I didn’t think I was going to win.
“When my name was called as the winner, I stood there for a few seconds before it actually clicked that I had won.”
But winning the crown was never the top priority for Mrs Franken.
For past three months of the competition, the 32-year-old has been on a mission to promote early diagnosis and screening of cancers.
Mrs Franken knows what it’s like when a check-up at becomes life-changing — her own cervical cancer diagnosis has made sure of that.
She has made a video which promotes early detection of cancers.
“I want people to listen to their bodies and if they have any concerns to get checked out,” she said.
She will compete in Mrs Multiverse in the Dominican Republic later this year.