Construction worker Rachel Foley becomes first Irish person to be crowned Miss Galaxy International

An Irish construction worker has hammered her way into the history books as the first Irish woman to be named Miss Galaxy International.

Rachel Foley, who hails from Leitrim, fought off stiff competition to represent Ireland at the grand final in The Bahamas and nab the coveted title.

The accolade is the first time a person from Ireland has been crowned with a winning 'Miss' title since Rosanna Davison famously won Miss World in 2003.

For Rachel, who works as a Health and Safety officer, becoming a pageant star was the counterweight to a lifetime of stereotypical male pursuits.

"A huge part of my platform has focused on representing and encouraging women working in traditionally male-dominated industries," she explained per RTÉ.

Rachel admitted that walking onto construction sites can make her feel like she has something to prove, but she's determined not to let being a woman hold her back.

By competing in pageants, she wants to highlight that women don't have to fit into neatly defined roles.

She said: "I can wear my hard hat and my high-vis to work and then put on a gown and compete in pageants on an international stage.

"I want to continue using my voice and my platform to encourage women as young girls not to limit themselves because of the stereotypes."

Commenting on her win, Rachel said that she is "so proud" to bring the Miss Galaxy crown home to Ireland

Rachel shares her win with Ms Galaxy, Saffron Corcoran from the UK, Miss Teen Galaxy, Alexis Dorgerville from the Bahamas, and Mrs Galaxy, Joelle Krinickas from North America.

*This article was originally published on Evoke.ie.