General News
1 October, 2024
Former showgirl went on to Miss Australia
Felicity Williams might have celebrated her 50th birthday this year, but she can recall when she won the Horsham Show's Showgirl competition at just 19, like it was yesterday.
Mrs Williams has lived in Horsham most of her life, aside from a couple of years in Ballarat and Geelong.
She recalled the 1993 competition involving a lot of questions about Horsham’s history, as well as events and the history of the show. Entrants were also judged on their presentation, general rapport and speaking.
"When I won the Horsham Showgirl, I then went onto the next level which was all the local winners at St Arnaud," Mrs Williams said.
"I won that and went onto the Melbourne Show, which was an amazing experience."
Mrs Williams was a runner-up at the Melbourne Show, which earned her a nomination to the Miss Australia Awards, in which she represented Horsham.
"They were amazing experiences," Mrs Williams said. "It's something I will always remember."
Mrs Williams was chaperoned by Keith Mackley, who she remembers as an "amazing man" and said they would often recall their experiences together, up until his passing earlier this year. Now, Mrs Williams is a mum of three, and is married to husband Matt.
She has been office manager at Wimmera Chiropractic Centres for 14 years and is in her fifth term as president of the Horsham Primary School 298 Parents and Friends Committee.
"I still get nervous with public speaking, but given my time in the Showgirl competition I can handle it," Mrs Williams said.
"I am proud of what I achieved. It definitely opened doors for me and gave me confidence to better myself."
Mrs Williams said she had followed in the footsteps of previous showgirls Jo Kemp and Kim Driller, who she thought were amazing women and who she looked up to.
"When it was my chance to walk the same path, I was beyond excited," she said.
"I couldn't have managed to do any of it though, if it wasn't for my Mum Carol.
"Being a single parent, I added pressure to her job, but she got me to where I needed to be and could whip out a sponge in minutes when it came to my fundraising for the Miss Australia Awards."
Mrs Williams said her entry to the competition had been priceless.
"If an opportunity presents itself just go for it," she said.
"You just never know how much it could change your life."