Teacher swaps the blackboard for bikinis as she gears up to compete in Miss Universe Great Britain

Teacher swaps the blackboard for bikinis as she gears up to compete in Miss Universe Great Britain Teacher swaps the blackboard for bikinis as she gears up to compete in Miss Universe Great Britain – and credits beauty pageants with helping her to feel 'comfortable in her own skin' A high school teacher is gearing up to compete in a beauty pageant in after being inspired by her students. Maria Wilkes, 26, from Hampshire, is in the running to represent Great Britain at the Miss Universe pageant. Maria works as a French, German and Spanish teacher and she will be one of around 40 women taking part in the 2017 Miss Universe Great Britain competition in South Wales in July. Maria Wilkes works as a languages teacher in an all-girls school but she is now trading in the blackboard for a bikini as she gears up to compete in Miss Universe Great Britain And while she admits that her students at the all-girls school she works at don't know about her plans to compete she has named them as her greatest inspiration. Speaking to the MailOnline Maria said: 'This is my first pageant. It came about because being surrounded by young women all the time made me want to do more to celebrate femininity. 'I think Miss Universe is a very established way of doing this. My cousin, who also competed last year, said how much fun she had meeting other like-minded women.' This will be Maria's first beauty pageant and she says it was her students that inspired her to enter the competition Maria says that although she is aware that aesthetics are important to competition, good looks alone will not win you first place Maria hopes that by entering the pageant she will be able to inspire her students in the same way that they have inspired her. She continued: 'I hope they will be proud of me for putting myself out there and moving out of the comfort zone of the classroom, because they are a main source of my inspiration. 'They are so full of life and youth and I want to show them the importance of being confident, and in a world of social media, their role models should be real and authentic people.' Ahead of the pageant Maria will be expected to take part in fundraising activities In the run up to the competition in July, Maria will be tasked with a series of challenges and fundraising events. The final will be a three-day event and includes an empowerment day lead by one of the UK's foremost leadership coaches; a celebration dinner with friends and family; and a catwalk show before a panel of judges from the beauty and fashion industry. Maria admits that she has been preparing for the competition for months by stepping up her exercise. She added: 'I'm trying to be healthier and drink lots of water, that's something I've struggled with in the past. 'On top of that I will be going to the gym 3-4 times a week to improve my fitness and strength. But I'm not shy to the fact that I'm an amateur at this, so I want to enjoy the build up and the overall experience.' While Maria is keeping an eye on her appearance she says that she doesn't think good looks are the main focus of Miss Universe Great Britain. She said: 'Every competition values certain qualities over others. While it's true that beauty pageants have a focus on aesthetics, it will not be the most important contributing factor for success. 'Pageants are not only about celebrating individual beauty, but also your resilience, mental strength and the ability to represent your country and become an ambassador. 'For me, competing in Miss Universe is about growing as a person and feeling comfortable in my own skin, with no airbrush or filters.' The winner will be given the opportunity to represent the UK at an exotic overseas location later this year at Miss Universe and will also visit India to support the Sheroes Hangout initiative which helps women who have been the victim of acid attacks. The teacher says that she has been keeping an eye on her health regime and exercise in the run up to the competition in July Maria said that she hopes her experience in teaching will lend herself to the role of Miss Universe Great Britain. She said: 'As a teacher, I have learnt so much by educating and leading pupils that I feel I can exceed the school boundaries and empower young women outside of the classroom. 'Teaching French and Spanish at an all-girls school has allowed me to deliver my insights and love of other cultures to young women and give them the confidence and the ability to communicate in multiple languages. 'I am already Miss Wilkes, but it would be my dream to become Miss Universe Great Britain.' National director of Miss Universe Great Britain, Paula Abbandonato, said: 'Pageantry in the UK is more popular than ever before and we have the most amazing line-up of young women from England, Scotland and Wales vying for the crown this year. 'It's going to be an excellent competition and I wish them all the very best of luck.'