Maya Boileau’s latest effort has spurred her to reach even further in future competitions
16 year-old Maya Boileau.(Image: Maya Boileau)
An East Yorkshire teen who is taking the pageant circuit by storm is using her platform to promote a positive mental health message to her peers. Maya Boileau, from near Cottingham, has just returned from a national competition in which she placed runner up – and has talked of her determination to go all the way.
The 16 year-old, who is studying textiles, drama and history and hopes to become a criminal psychologist one day, has been competing in pageants for about 18 months. In autumn 2024 she took part in Miss Teen Great Britain, placing in the top 15.
Last year she entered the Miss Teen Galaxy UK contest in which women compete for the chance to go to world finals in the US. Having secured a top 12 place in last year’s event, Maya was keen to take part again.
She has dedicated an entire year to preparing for the event, held in Chorley. Months of work behind the scenes helped Maya dazzle judges, earning her the place of first runner up, and a free place in next year’s competition.
Maya explained: “You’re judged on stage presence, how you hold yourself, how you communicate – a lot of different things. I had walk training for two of the rounds which include fashionwear, which is a really upbeat round in which you have to have a lot of stage presence, and eveningwear, which is where you’re in a gown and you have to show elegance and grace to express yourself.
“Then you have a three minute long interview in which you can be asked any question. It’s where they get to know you, and you’re judged on that. Each round is worth 33% of the score.”
The Newland School for Girls student, who is in her last year, was successful up against about 35 girls in her category. The three-day event includes networking, rehearsals and judging, culminating in a Saturday night show.
Maya explained: “I always wanted to compete in pageants, since I was young and watching this show called Toddlers and Tiaras. One day, I just decided that I was bored with my life and I wanted to try something new, so I applied to Miss Teen Great Britain and after that I just wanted to continue.”
And not only did Maya represent East Yorkshire at the national competition, she also used her platform to promote ‘Beyond Anxiety’ – a campaign she started in September last year which encourages young people to open up about anxiety, build self-confidence, and support one another. The idea stemmed from Maya’s own struggles with anxiety and has led to her fundraising for mental health charity Mind.
She explained: “I’ve been doing things like sharing coping mechanisms and different activities you can do to ease anxiety. And backstage, before we all competed, I’d created little goody bags with motivational quotes in, stress balls and some sweets in to help all the girls out because I knew the nerves would be going before they took to the stage.”
With the international competition in the offing, Maya is hoping to take her message to a much wider audience and raise more money for charity. For her mum, Jessica, the effort has been an enormous source of pride.
Jessica said: “I’ve seen how she’s come on leaps and bounds in the past 18 months. It’s not just about being beautiful, it’s about the hard work behind the scenes. I’m just so proud of her.
“It’s just brilliant that she’s getting out there doing what she’s doing and helping other girls.”
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