Eastbourne beauty therapist on New Year’s Honours List for gold medal

A beauty therapist from Eastbourne made it onto the New Year’s Honours List after winning a gold medal at a global competition for trade.
Kaiya Swain won gold at the WorldSkills Abu Dhabi competition in 2017Kaiya Swain won gold at the WorldSkills Abu Dhabi competition in 2017
Kaiya Swain won gold at the WorldSkills Abu Dhabi competition in 2017

Kaiya Swain competed against 28 other countries to come out on top at the WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017 competition, which sees people in trades go head-to-head.

The 25-year-old said, “It is an honour to be presented with the award. It is quite overwhelming. I’m just a young beauty therapist from Eastbourne who had some big dreams and goals.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“I had nothing to lose by entering and everything to gain. It made me push myself. I was such a shy kid when I was at school, I would never have dreamt of doing something like this competition in a million years.

“If it was not for the support of my training team, Jenna Russell, friends and family none of this would have been possible.”

Kaiya was competing over four days, with crowds of about 100,000 visitors, where she was assessed on tasks including facials, body treatments, waxing, pedicures, make-up and nails.

The former Lewes College Sussex Downs student said, “The training team teach you about your whole mindset. All I was focused on is myself, my model, my treatment. When I look back at some of the pictures I could not believe how many people were watching.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Kaiya, who is the owner of Kaiya Rose Beauty in Stone Cross, said she has always had a passion for beauty therapy as she feels it changes people’s lives.

She said, “Beauty is always something I have wanted to do. I have always enjoyed making people feel good about themselves. At the end of treatment it is just lovely to see how much it can change peoples’ lives.”

Kaiya said she also visits schools in Sussex to talk to pupils about their future prospects and the different pathways to realise their dreams.

For more information, visit www.facebook.com/Kaiyarosebeauty or www.instagram.com/kaiyarosebeauty

Related topics: