A 19-year-old aspiring beauty queen will be taking on the ABP Newport Half Marathon as part of her mission to inspire young women to reach their potential.
Xantia Hobrough, who will be taking part in the Miss Wales finals in May, will be running the race – part of the ABP Newport Marathon Festival – with her dad Mark to raise money for ‘Beauty with a Purpose’.
The Veterinary Medicine student from Sully said: “I really enjoy running with my dad. We’ve run three half marathons together already and we decided to do the ABP Newport Half as my dad works for Gwent Police and he wanted to support the area, and the Miss Wales Final is also being held in Newport.
“I really enjoy running as it helps me relax and has taught me how to work towards an end goal, which can be applied to other aspects of life. I’d like to eventually try and do every half marathon in the UK.
“I’ll be raising money for ‘Beauty with a Purpose’. It’s a charity that helps women to set up projects around the world to help both people and animals. I’m trying to raise as much as possible and just want to try and do as much as possible.
“I also want to be a role model and inspire young girls who look up to Miss Wales and all those who are interested in pageantry, to show them that you can achieve anything you set your mind to. This is the first time I’ve entered a pageant, and it’s made me realise how much there is to it – in terms of both self-development and helping others.
“If I win Miss Wales I’ll get the chance to set up a new project which I’d focus on conservation and the environment.”
Xantia is extremely passionate about animals and conservation which is why she has her sights set on becoming a veterinary surgeon.
She is in her first year of study at Bristol University having taken a year out to spend three months volunteering in Africa – working in a cheetah sanctuary followed by several weeks working in marine conservation, collecting data on sharks and working with penguins.
She’s also previously volunteered with the Police Youth, something she said really helped grow her confidence with talking to new people, and she has helped out with small animals at her local vets, taken on litter picks, volunteered at her local charity shop and organised blanket donations for Cardiff dogs home.
Xantia also has an impressive list of skills to her name too. She has a black belt in taekwondo – winning the British Championships in 2022, as well as surf lifesaving which saw her take part in the 2023 Commonwealth Championships. These vital skills even saw her rescue a swimmer who was out of their depth on the Cornish coast when she was just 17.
She added: “I’m really excited for the Miss Wales Final in May. There will be four rounds including an interview, a red dress round, an evening wear round and then if I make it into the top five there will be an onstage question.
“I’ve made a lot of friends through the pageant and we’re all so supportive of one another and I’m so thankful to my sponsors, Nicole from Love Your Look Style and Wanda from Unique Beautique. It’s been fantastic taking part so far. If I’m crowned Miss Wales it will mean I’m straight into the Miss World competition and that would be such an honour.”
Xantia will be running the ABP Newport Half Marathon which is part of the ABP Newport Marathon Festival on Sunday 13 April, trying to raise as much money as she can for charity.
Matt Newman, Chief Executive at event organisers Run 4 Wales, said: “We’re looking forward to seeing Xantia and her dad Mark take on the ABP Newport Half Marathon for a fantastic cause, and we can’t wait to see how she gets on in the Miss Wales Final.”
