At least two Campbell River women are in the running for a feature spot in the men’s magazine Maxim.
The Mirror spoke to the two contestants – Kyla May and Kristy Watkins (profile linked here) – about their lives, their passions and what they would do with the $10,000 that goes to the winner of the Cover Girl contest.
Readers have until May 16 to cast a vote online daily, and extra votes can be purchased by making a donation to the Canadian Cancer Society through Maxim‘s website.
The top ten vote-getters in each group – there are several dozen groups on the contest website – advance to the next round.
Kyla May
If Kyla May wins the Maxim Cover Girl prize money, the model, mother and recovery support worker wants to use it to advance the cause of women’s empowerment.
May’s work involves supporting women in transition, and she said “if I do win, my proceeds are just going to support more women.”
She has a passion for modelling, and she puts that energy towards helping out the community.
| Campbell River’s Kyla May, a model and recovery worker, at Sequoia Park on May 6, 2019. Photo by David Gordon Koch/Campbell River Mirror |
May said she recently participated in a calendar shoot for the Ideal Cafe, and proceeds went towards the Campbell River Hospice Society.
Other modelling by May has benefited the Campbell River and North Island Transition Society, which provides crucial services to women and their children.
She feels strongly about it partly because of her own struggles.
“I’ve got almost 13 years sober, so I’ve had a rough past,” she said. “I came out the other end and I just want to support women that have been through abusive relationships, sexual assault – things that I’ve gone through myself.
“I think it’s just really important for women to build up women,” she said. “There’s not enough of that. And showing my daughters that beauty comes from the inside… rock what you have.”
She added that trauma contributes to mental illness and addiction, and it’s important for her to be open and honest about her experiences.
“Trauma’s a killer for a lot of people,” she said.
| Photo courtesy Kyla May |
Her recovery support work involves helping to connect women with essential resources including housing. She’s also a painter and she’s planning to provide art therapy to women to help them recover from trauma.
May has appeared on calendars and in magazine, and you may soon notice her on the big screen.
She recently sold a number of photos to Paramount Pictures to use in the film Sonic the Hedgehog, which was filmed on Vancouver Island.
“There’s a recurring pub scene there, and my photos will be plastered on a wall in the pub,” she said, adding that she’s looking forward to taking her kids to see it.
By Monday, she had reached the number one spot in her group in the Maxim contest.
“I feel so humbled and honoured,” she said. “I’m just running with it.”
You can vote for May and see more of her photos here.
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