By Krystal Sellars
Cessnock woman Taylee Short will represent Australia on the world stage in the United States next year after she was crowned Ms Ultimate of Australia earlier this month.
The 25-year-old mother-of-two has been competing in pageants for 10 years, and said the Ultimate International Miss Australia was “like no other pageant” she has ever competed in.
“It was honestly like it wasn’t a competition at all, it was like a big group of friends catching up and having a lot of fun,” Taylee said.
“I was able to make many new friends during the week. Usually when I compete in pageants, I get quite stressed and every little thing that goes wrong really affects me, but during this pageant there was none of that. Anything that went wrong, I just laughed off and moved on.”
The pageant was held in Melbourne from October 1 to 3, and Taylee put in the hard yards in the months leading up to it, volunteering with local organisations including Hunter Valley Animal Facility and Rehoming Centre, Nulkaba Parkrun, the Australian Postie Bike Grand Prix and the Spirit of Giving Fundraising Hub; while studying social work at university and working as a young parent co-researcher at the Brave Foundation.
The pageant itself involved fashion and evening gown sections, an interview and an intake question.
Taylee, who was also named as the People’s Choice winner in her division, said she was shocked but elated with the results.
“When I was waiting for the winner to be announced, my vision was blurry, my ears were ringing and it felt like my stomach was doing flips,” she said.
“I was standing in the final two with an amazing girl from the small town of Taree, and we had become quite close over the days of the pageant, so it was an amazing feeling being able to stand there with her.
“When my name was called, I could hardly hear anything – it was the reaction from the other girl who was celebrating my win that made me realise I had won.
“I was in a bit of shock, and it look a minute to comprehend what had happened.
“Once that crown was on my head and I started my first walk, I realised what had happened and all I could think was ‘my hard work has paid off’.
“I was elated and absolutely on cloud nine. Even the next morning when I woke up, it took me a second to realise that it wasn’t just a dream.”
Taylee says she will work “harder than ever” to compete for the Ultimate International Ms title, which will be held in San Antonio, Texas in July 2026.
Follow her journey at Taylee Short- UIM Delegate on Facebook.
