IT has been several years in the making for Hayley Parker but on August 5 she will fly to Brazil to compete in the finals of the WorldSkills hairdressing competition.
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There has been more than the occasional trip to Port Macquarie from her home in Geelong and many Skype sessions with her trainers.
She admitted it has been a whirlwind from the moment she competed in the regional finals in 2013 and then “it just snowballed”.
The competition will run from August 11 to 16 and will see the best 32 hairdressers from throughout the world and up to 72 member countries or regions converge on the international stage to compete for the coveted gold medal and the title of ‘World’s Best’ in 45 skill areas.
“When I first started I had no idea what the competition was about and it just snowballed from there. It’s been surreal,” she said.
“I arrived here (last) Tuesday, was here for a week and I will be back in a couple of weeks as I continue my training for the competition. I’m confident I know what I’m doing.
“It’s my first overseas trip, but I’ve already learnt a lot about myself by being in the competition. A lot of people have said they’re surprised by the effect it’s had on me and how it’s improved my confidence in the workplace.”
TAFE teacher, Australian judge and Port Macquarie’s own Donna Demaria is overseeing Ms Parker’s development at On The Fringe salon in the lead up to the competition.
“Long hair is her forte,” she said.
“I’ve been training her for the last 12 months, but I’ve encouraged her to be as critical with what she does (at training) as possible because the judges will be even worse.”
Ms Demaria said competitors would be given a test project before the competition to give them an insight into what to expect in Brazil.
“But there will be a 30 per cent change in it by the time they get there because everyone needs to be on the same level,” she said.
All competitors will work on mannequins.
“That’s so everything is the same because of the language barrier. She’s been up here a couple of times throughout the year and we have Skype sessions as well where she does a bit of her training,” she said.