A beauty salon in regional NSW has produced the gold medal winning champion at the WorldSkills Australia National Championships two years in a row.
Last year, then 21-year-old beauty therapist Lily Campbell from Skin Solutions in Wagga Wagga won the gold medal in WorldSkills Australia’ beauty competition and then went on to win a bronze medal at the international WorldSkills Competition in Abu Dhabi.
Last weekend Gorgia Maliukaetau, a 21-year-old beauty therapist at the same salon, won the gold medal in the same event at this year’s WorldSkills Australia championships – and is now training for the opportunity to join Australia’s Skillaroos team at the 2019 WorldSkills competition in Russia.
If she wins a place on the team, Gorgia will compete against apprentice and newly qualified beauty therapists from around the world over four days in five test projects:
- Advanced facial with ultrasonic, lash tint and spa pedicure with red polish
- Hair removal with waxing and sugaring
- Spa body treatment (express facial, body cleanse/scrub/mask/massage and French manicure)
- Fantasy makeup and nail art (Arabian Nights theme)
- Brow treatment and lash extensions
Gorgia, who completed her beauty therapy diploma in 2016, says Lily’s success in last year’s WorldSkills Australia competition inspired her to enter this year’s competition.
“I loved the idea of something as challenging as the Worldskills competition,” she says.
“I did lots of training and thoroughly enjoyed doing it too.
“My local TAFE allowed me to use their resources and educators. I was training on my days off, weekends and after work as well.
“The support I had from my mentors and employer Nicole Kennedy made me more determined to commit to my training and make everyone proud.”
She says the support from Lily was particularly helpful to her success.
“Lil has been amazing. She helped me mentally prepare for the competition environment and was probably my Number 1 emotional supporter leading up to the National Championships.
“It can be quite a daunting lead up so it was good to have someone with prior experience and similar passions around.”
She says the best part of winning the gold medal so far has been the “camaraderie and support” she has received.
“A lot of people had taken time out of their days to help me train and I feel so lucky to have that support, so to come home with a gold medal and share that excitement with them has been the most amazing feeling.”