Gundagai girl Nicole Dawson found the perfect outlet for her grief after losing her husband.
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Ms Dawson aka Catalina McCaw was left devastated when her husband was killed in a motorcycle accident only weeks after their wedding.
“As you can imagine, this was extremely traumatising,” she said.
“I found that there were no groups specifically aimed at assisting young people through their grief journey or advising where to get help … so I started my own.”
Ms Dawson started the support group Grieving the Loss of Somebody Special (GLOSS).
She entered the Miss Viva Las Vegas Pinup Pageant to raise awareness and was named runner-up in 2016.
“The pageant is different to any in the world in that it seeks to find a pinup who is an inspiration to others and works within her community to make it a better place,” she said.
She is returning to the pageant as a finalist this year but is most excited about continuing to support others suffering from grief and loss.
Ms Dawson can be seen in the Riverina in her 1962 pink Cadillac Coupe raising awareness and supporting those in similar situations.
“I was able to share my story and grow many connections … I hope to be able to take it further this year,” she said.
Voting is open online at the Miss Viva Las Vegas Pinup Pageant website until January 31.