Meet one of Derry's gems - Amy Doherty, a business woman and mum to two autistic sons
A finalist in Miss Universe Ireland - Amy Doherty is a huge inspiration for single mothers across Northern Ireland and beyond. Living with scoliosis and raising two young boys with autism- there's nothing that can stop her from achieving success
You don't get much more inspirational than Derry native Amy Doherty who has made it to the final of Miss Universe Ireland.
Amy was diagnosed with scoliosis at age 13 and has lived with the condition ever since, with strength and pride, proving that the condition doesn't have to be a barrier to achieving your dreams.
Amy is also the proud single mother of two young boys who were both diagnosed with autism in recent years.
Amy is hoping to become the first mother to win the Miss Universe Ireland competition when the final takes place on June 20 - to prove to other mothers that anything is possible.
Amy says she decided to enter the competition to challenge herself after competing for the last four years in Miss Great Britain.
Amy says many people "still have a misconception" about pageants. "They just think that you stand on a stage and look pretty. But it's about so much more than that, there's lots of charity work, it's about what you do, what you're about. Like I'm competing against women who are doctors, so it is about brains and beauty, it's not just how you look.
"I want to show that just because we're mums, that doesn't limit us or what we can achieve. It doesn't put us on a sell-by date kind of thing. I want to also show that pageantry has evolved and it's come on so much. It was outdated.
"Pageantry back in the day, there was a male judging panel. Now it's mostly judged by women. So I think just having a mum there with a crown on her head will inspire other mums that they too can take to the stage and that it doesn't limit them".
"I want to be the first mum to be crowned Miss Universe Ireland, because I am a single mum to two boys, both who have autism. So that's something that I'm very passionate about, is getting their voice out there".
Amy's two boys Mason (10) and Noah (8) were both diagnosed with autism at a young age.
"I feel like people don't really understand autism completely. We've come on so much in so many ways, but there still is almost a bit of an ignorance to it. I want to be their voice in a world that sometimes might not always understand them.
"Mason is my oldest and he's ten, and Noah is my youngest and he's eight. Mason's autism presents itself very differently to Noah's. Noah is still very baby-like and he is part of a special educational needs unit, so he doesn't go to mainstream school, whereas Mason does".
Mason was diagnosed when he was three years old. "This was pre-pandemic, so I think that's why he got diagnosed so early. And then Noah got diagnosed when he was four".
Amy says she owes so much to her mum and dad who help support her as a single mum to two autistic young boys.
"I take my hat off to them completely because they are actual superheroes. Even doing it with my mum and dad, we lean on each other a lot because having children with special needs, that is tough.
"It's mentally tough. But we help one another, so I'm very, very lucky for that."
While competing for Miss Great Britain, Amy found it "unbelievable".
She placed in the top 15 and she got the highest placement for Derry in the competition's history.
"And I won the first ever Miss Great Britain photogenic. So I was able to bring that home to Derry for the first time ever. So that was a very proud moment.
"But no, honestly, the people of Derry I can't thank enough because I think if you're from Derry, people know about it and the whole community gets behind it".
Amy has her own health struggles - she was diagnosed with scoliosis at the age of 13.
"I found out because my ribcage, one of the bones of my ribcage, was jutting out of my chest. So when I was 13, this happened and I went to my mum and she was like, yeah, that's definitely not normal. So we went to the GP, got referred for a scan and then I got diagnosed in Musgrave Park in Belfast.
"I went there every year until I turned 18, to be monitored and just keep on top of it. I've never had the operation. But even whenever I had my two boys, my consultant, he was very much involved in all of that.
"I am proud of the fact that I've got scoliosis. It's not something I shy away from. Because, again, I don't have the perfect body. Like I have a curved spine. I have bones that stick out in places where they normally wouldn't.
"But I embrace it and I want to show again on that stage that women do not have to be perfect. They don't have to have perfect abs or a perfect body. We can all get up there and do our thing."
Amy says "it feels incredible" to be an inspiration to so many women - in Derry and across Northern Ireland.
"I really just want to represent Ireland to the best of my ability because we are strong. I think we're particularly strong in our women here because we're stepping forward with purpose and the courage to be ourselves. And I just want to help our voice be heard on a global stage and help girls who maybe are struggling with self-image to see that they don't have to be perfect.
"I think there's a lot of pressure out there, especially with social media, to have this perfect face, perfect body. You don't".
"We got our first crown with Sarah Mawson who is Miss Crown & Glory Ireland - Sarah herself has autism which is special to me as a Mum of my boys and also proves that pageants are evolving," she said.
Since it was launched, the business has, to date, coached around 10 girls in getting prepared for pageanting.