Imagine my joy then, when I heard about Brittany Allsop – the 22-year-old who was recently crowned Miss Ink Australia 2015. Not just a beautiful woman with some killer ink, Brittany’s story has a lot more to it than posing for a few bikini photos.
Despite her fear of needles, Brittany Allsop was 16 years old when she got her first tattoo. Begging her mother to let her go under the needle, Brittany started her love affair with a small cross and rose tattooed on her wrist. But it wasn’t just the art that she was interested in. Her lust for tattoos started as a method of coping with some pretty intense bullying.
“On my legs it used to look like chicken pox scars.
“I used to say I would get tattooed one day and cover my scars.”
Like most beauty pageants around the world, Brittany’s road to the title included competing daywear, swimwear, formal wear and showcasing a talent in addition to her extraordinary body art. While for Brittany her tattoos helped her avoid bullying, her title win actually exposed her to more bullies online who criticised her lifestyle choices.
“It was kind of hard when I first read them, I was shocked that people would go out of their way to criticise,” she said.
“They ask what it’s going to look like when I’m older, but when you’re older no one is going to look as flash as when they were 20.”
Thankfully though her crown as Miss Ink Australia 2015 will allow her to give back. She will be helping this year’s competitors throughout the year, and will also sit on the judging panel at 2016’s event. Currently 15 weeks pregnant (congratulations by the way Brittany!), she says she may consider returning to the stage after she gives birth.
It’s also nice to see that she’s not letting the haters get her down, and is planning to continue her body art although admitting there is “not much space left”.
“I pretty much want everything covered except my hands, neck and face,” she said.
It’s nice to see someone like Brittany use her negative experiences of bullying, and turning it into something positive. Although tattoos clearly aren’t for everyone, a lot of people could learn a lesson or two from this Australian beauty.
