JANA McCABE talks to netball international LAUREN WALSHE on how Miss NI experience will help her spread the sporting message
LAUREN Walshe has already made her mark in an impressive netball career playing for Northern Ireland Seniors eight times, but is now keen to spread the positives of sport through a different adventure, the Miss Northern Ireland competition, after finishing third in this year’s final.
The netballer has become established as the starting goalkeeper of the senior squad and competed in the Netball Europe Open on the Isle of Man earlier this month where Northern Ireland were crowned champions after winning all their matches.
“If I can go play for my country and get the gold, hopefully I can represent my country in a different way now,” Lauren said after Monday’s Miss NI final in the Europa Hotel.
“It’s been a busy time in netball so it’s trying to get out of my sporting mindset and get my head into the Miss NI competition.
“I still get nervous when putting on the netball dress, even though I’ve done it a good few times now. It’s funny, last weekend I was wearing a green netball dress and this weekend I’m wearing a big green gala dress. It’s two different worlds.”
Lauren, who is a P7 teacher in Antrim Primary School, was encouraged by her aunt to enter the Miss NI competition, qualifying for the final through the Galgorm heat.
As well as playing for Northern Ireland, she plays for Belfast Ladies Netball Club firsts and, even with the whirlwind of the Miss NI competition, it was clear just how much influence her netball career has on her.
“Wearing the dress for NI is an honour. Every time I go on court, I’m representing this beautiful wee country and it’s just amazing and I never take it for granted,” she stressed.
“I know what it feels like to represent here in a sporting aspect, but I want to show my skills in a different way and want to represent Miss Northern Ireland and want to be a role model for young women.
“It’s a big family group. We are all doing the same thing and want everyone to do well. It’s encouraging and reassuring, and yes it’s a competition, but we’re all in the same boat.
“Everyone does help each other out. If you need or have forgotten something, a girl would be straight over to help”.
For her charity event, as part of Miss NI, Lauren is competing in a half marathon in September to support Chest, Heart and Stroke, a charity quite literally close to her heart as her grandfather suffered a stroke seven years ago.
“Family is a massive thing for me, with everything in life,” Lauren insisted. “They have encouraged me my whole life and the last couple of years my aunt has been asking ‘Why don’t you go for Miss NI?’ and the answer was always ‘Maybe next year.’
“But this year I thought I may as well. This is my first year of teaching, too, so it’s maybe a hectic time to do it but I’m so glad I did.
“My mum and my aunt would be my two biggest coaches; they love this sort of thing. They’re picking out dresses, they take themselves shopping and come back and say they have stuff for me!”
As a primary school teacher, Lauren has seen first-hand how a vital time the change between primary and secondary school is, in terms of playing sport.
“I think a lot of girls leave primary school and don’t take up enough sport, but sport for me was my turning point in life,” she related. “When I joined the club team my confidence and self-esteem grew. I was a shy kid and now I have transformed. I want to encourage young girls to get involved and join teams. I think the Miss Northern Ireland platform would be perfect place to do that.
“Lady Mary Peters is a big role model for me. She is all about promoting young athletes, women and men, and I look up to her and I would love to be someone who young girls look up to and admire.”
Lauren Walsh pictures, below, by SEAN DONEGAN
