Mrs Gibraltar journey helps Lianne Wink to "challenge" with herself

Mrs Lianne Wink made a promise to her father when she was really young. She promised him that she could walk again and she has done it on a catwalk, the catwalk of Mrs Gibraltar, which she won last Saturday. This is her story.

Q.- This is your first time or you have joined the contest before?
A.- It's the first time I've joined the Mrs Gibraltar, yes, or any pageant. I've never been on a pageant before.

Q.- Why did you decide to join it?
A.- I decided to join the Mrs Gibraltar pageant as a big challenge to myself as a mom of three. I wanted to challenge myself and a promise I made to my dad when I was very young.

Q.- And you have three children.
A.- My child, my eldest one is 20. My other one is 16 and my youngest one is 13. Yeah. So I had them really young. I didn't get the chance to join the Mrs Gibraltar pageant.

Q.- What does the contest mean for you?
A.- It means a lot. It means stepping out of my comfort zone. It means challenging myself, speaking in public, which is something I dread. I'm really scared of, especially in such a small community like Gibraltar. And it's doing something for myself as well.

Q.- Why does this kind of self-confidence come from the contest?
A.- Because as a mom, I struggled. I mummified myself to my kids. I had them really young and all I knew was shorts and a t-shirt and 'go with the flow'. And the actual having to dress up, your makeup, your dress, your heels... It gives you such a boost and such a confidence.

Q.- You think about yourself again.
A.- Yes, it's time for myself, which you kind of lose when you're a parent.

Q.- Which is your message for women?
A.- There's nothing stopping you, only yourself. Whatever dreams you have in life, go for them. And the only dreams do not have an expiration date, so follow them.

Q.- What your dad would think about your decision?
A.- Oh my God, that's very emotional. Yes, my dad has dementia, unfortunately. So, but I want to do something for him to see me before he totally forgets about me.

Q.- I'd like to hear from you one message for all the women who think about to join or not a contest like this.
A.- I would tell them to join, absolutely. I would tell them to join, to don't think about it, to let the negative thoughts behind and to go for it, to make that step.

Q.- What did your children think about this? 
A.- My children are very proud of me. I actually asked them first before joining because they're old enough and I asked them, what do you think if I join? And they said, mom, go for it. So for me, they're very supportive, and this makes the difference.

Q.-Are you working?
A.- Yes, I work eight to six in the law firm. And after work, I tend to run to rehearsals and keep busy.

Q.- What are your hobbies?
A.- My hobbies? I didn't have a hobby. I didn't have a hobby. I became a mom and my hobby were my kids and enjoying outings. But then I started doing photo shoots for myself as the children were older and I'm into fashion. So fashion, photo shoots, catwalks... Have been my hobby.