A Glasgow beauty queen has spoken of her "toxic" experience battling homelessness before turning her life around.
21-year-old Astrud Theadora Caldwell was crowned Miss Kelvingrove and is now hoping to compete for the Miss Great Britain title.
However, as a teenager, Astrud's life was much less bright, as she struggled with her mental health and a relationship with a violent partner, the Daily Record reports.
READ MORE: Glasgow makeup artist 'absolutely devastated' after £6,000 of equipment stolen
Clashes with her parents led to her being kicked out of the family home and from 16 to 18 she lived rough on the streets and in homeless hostels, drinking too much, until she managed to turn her life around. Astrud and her then partner would spend every night looking for places to stay.
She said: “Half the time we didn’t sleep, we walked until sun up.”
She added: “You have no idea how stressful my old life was but I want to let people know you can start again. I got thrown out the house. I was in a destructive, violent relationship with an ex-boyfriend. It was toxic.
“I ended up living on the streets and in five different hostels before I found my way out.”
Eventually Astrud managed to get a flat from Cadder Housing Association in Glasgow and slowly turned her life around, at one point working seven days a week to find her feet.
She said: “I moved up from there. I stopped drinking. Getting my own home led me to earn my own money. At one point I was working seven days a week doing a variety of jobs – a receptionist, a factory worker, bar tender and hairdressing assistant – to get on my feet.”
She is now reconciled with her family and said: “My mum and I are tighter than ever. She is really proud of me.”
Astrud – who is saving for the outfits she needs to compete for Miss Glasgow – added beauty contests were always “her dream”.
If she wins Miss Glasgow she will enter the Miss Great Britain contest.
Astrud still has to deal with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, which causes her to suffer memory issues and means she can wander off at tangents.
She said: “ADHD is very misunderstood. It takes a real toll on my life and it is difficult to get a routine in my life. But in a way, it is a superpower. With ADHD there is a lot of living in the moment and that is ideal for competitions.”
READ NEXT:
Empty Glasgow city centre site could be used for almost 300 student flats
Lewis Capaldi pictured with new girlfriend on brunch date in West Hollywood
Arrests made during Celtic title party celebration at Parkhead as fans gathered
Man stabbed outside Clydebank flat walks to takeaway for help after attempted murder
