FROM East Lancs to Spain ... a model is set to take part in a beauty contest in her home country.

Sara Botella from Valencia, but now living in Darwen, is to represent her grandmother’s town Teruel, for the Miss World Spain 2020 pageant from July 19-26.

The 25-year-old moved to Darwen two years ago as part of a study programme which saw her complete a beauty course at Blackburn College.

Miss Botella said: “I am a professional model, so they give me this opportunity and it is not the first time I have taken part in a beauty contest.

“I passed the first county final and will go to Spain for the final, where they will crown a winner.

“The competition is about integral beauty not just appearance and what we do for our communities.

“I am a positive person and I would like to spread this positivity to the world including to my community both here and in Spain.”

Now Sara is spending her days preparing her contest speech, undertaking work for her chosen charity, Cancer Research in Spain, and working out.

She said: “I applied because I want to grow in my career as a model in Spain. I want to have more jobs in modelling and I think this is a great opportunity because it makes you more known in Spain.”

The beauty student took part in Miss Universe Spain 2017 where she won the beach beauty round. From this, she received many opportunities, such as taking part in London Fashion Week 2019.

She said: “That was really exciting but exhausting because you spend all day preparing and the evening walking the catwalk.”

If Sara wins the Miss World Spain title she will then be entered into the International Miss World pageant, where she would spend a month training and eventually travel to the host country, Philippines.

Miss World Spain is set to go ahead with groups of 10 girls taking part each day to reduce risk from the coronavirus and contestants will wear masks when together.