Shannon woman in Curvette of the Year finals

Curves this week announced the five finalists of the Curvette of the Year 2010 competition and Clare woman Dympna Carthy is among those shortlisted.
This is the third year of the competition, which aims to find a Curves member who has not only lost weight and inches through Curves but has also experienced positive life changes since joining the Curves programme.
The overall winner will be announced at a gala awards ceremony in The Fitzwilliam Hotel, Dublin in January.
Competing with Dympna are three women from Dublin and one from Galway. After being diagnosed with osteoporosis, Dympna Carthy, 67, joined Curves of Shannon in 2006 with the intent of increasing her strength and feeling comfortable in her clothes again.
“I was uncomfortable in my own skin and very bloated,” Dympna says about how she felt before joining Curves. The Shannon woman lost more than 20 inches and almost two stone and she says she has “never felt better”.
“Curves has helped me come off HRT tablets and I have never felt better. Curves has completely changed my life and I would definitely recommend it for all ages, especially those with similar health problems,” she added.
As part of their prize, the five finalists will be styled by Off the Rail’s presenter, Sonya Lennon, who will offer advice on how to dress for their new shapes. They will also be treated to professional hair and make-up sessions and participate in an exclusive fashion photo shoot.
The overall winner will be announced in January and will receive a 10-year membership to Curves, a family holiday to Turkey and a new outfit. The judging panel, which includes Sonya Lennon, beauty journalist for the Irish Daily Mail, TV3 and editor of Glow* magazine Laura Bermingham and Gill Brady, the Irish spokesperson for Curves, will meet with each finalist to decide who deserves the title of Curvette of the Year 2010.
Gill Brady says, “This year’s Curvette competition has received some incredible applications. These women have lost weight, gained confidence and turned their lives around through the Curves programme and are a motivation for all members and anyone thinking of joining. Selecting just five finalists has not been easy.”