First contestant for 2017 Miss Gibraltar pageant

Emma Buttigieg is the first contestant to sign on for the Miss Gibraltar 2017 pageant.
Recruitment for the pageant began three weeks ago and organisers are searching for more ladies aged between 17 and 25.
21 year old Emma posed for photographs yesterday and walked the runway at the Gibraltar Exhibitions of Modern Art Gallery [GEMA] in Montagu Bastion.
She told the Chronicle she was nervous to be this year’s first pageant contestant to sign up.
“I am very nervous, but very intrigued to see who is going to enter,” Emma said.
“I had the feeling to just go for it and I just want to make new friends and have an adventure.”
The customer service agent added she has always wanted to compete in the Miss Gibraltar pageant.
“‘Everyday do something that scares you’ is the motto I am choosing to live by. I want to be out of my comfort zone and take on the challenge,” said Emma.
“I am constantly striving for new adventures and opportunities. My ultimate aim in life is to grow as a person, so this is an adventure I can’t let slip away. Meeting new people and helping others is in my nature, so this is the perfect opportunity for me to do so.”
Emma aims to get a business and human resources degree, and enjoys spending her free time modelling and playing netball.
Her perfect day would be spent with family and friends.
“I would like to be Miss Gibraltar to encourage people to love themselves for who they are, to be comfortable in their own skin, but most of all to remind them that beauty is within,” she said.
“I want to empower our community and remind them that anything is possible if you set your mind and heart to it.”
The first 10 candidates to sign for the pageant will receive £400 each and the winner will represent Gibraltar at the Miss World pageant later this year.
The Miss Gibraltar pageant will take place on July 8 at the Tercentenary Sports Hall.