Beauty queen Elishah climbs the Wrekin 10 times for charities

Elishah Crutchley of Wellington raised £750 for various charities with her Wrekin challenge, and has since topped that up to £1,010 with a 'fitness party' at a Telford gym.

Elishah, 26, began working as a fitness instructor in 2011 and it spurred her into organising fundraisers for charities including Sport Relief, Cancer Research UK and the Christie hospital fund. She has jumped out of planes and organised countless fundraising fitness parties.

She said: "I have been raising money for charity since the day I started teaching fitness in 2011, as I started organising fitness parties and organising money for Sport Relief, Cancer Research, Dreams Come True, mental health charity, the Christie and lots more.

"I did lots of challenges for charity, challenges that always made me get out of my comfort zone and face my fears, like a skydive. It made me realise that these things are a must if you want to grow as a person."

For the past few months she has been focusing her efforts on Comic Relief and the Christie charitable fund, which supports the largest single site cancer centre in Europe, based in Manchester.

One challenge she set was to walk up Shropshire's most famous hill 10 times in one day in May.

"I am only just starting to walk normal! It's still painful but I just kept thinking of my own journey and how it's not been easy but you just keep going no matter what."

Not content to help good causes, she also said she wants to change the popular perception of beauty pageants and their competitors. Last weekend she attained the title of Miss Charity Queen at the UK Power Pageant for her fundraising efforts.

Amazing

Elishah, who is also Miss Shropshire International 2019, explained: "I have been fundraising for charities that really need it for many years before being involved with pageants, so to come away with Miss Charity Queen meant so much to me.

"I seriously hope to break the stigma on beauty pageants because it really isn’t what people think anymore, it’s so much more and after doing quite a few it has certainly changed my thoughts over them.

"They have evolved so much and the women you meet – oh my gosh. That’s all I can say.

"They all work so hard and prepare and then to finish it all off by standing on that stage is amazing, especially when the majority of them aren’t confident in themselves, to stand up in front of big crowds is an achievement for them.

"They are simply beautiful inside and out.

"My next move is to keep on building a platform so I can carry on following my childhood dream to become a successful fitness instructor and presenter, so I can help inspire everyone I meet and help change the world."

To donate to Elishah's appeal for the Christie visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/elishah-crutchley6