BELFAST — A Belfast local is in the running to become Inked Magazine’s next cover girl.
“I saw the competition and I honestly thought to myself what do I have to lose,” said runner-up MaryBeth Fitzgerald.
MaryBeth Fitzgerald said she wanted to discuss mental health and a strong spirit. She said Inked Magazine would give her the opportunity to do so.
“I have a tiger girl on my arm and she’s fierce, so no matter what goes on, you can overcome anything,” she said.
The prize for Inked magazine’s winning cover is $25,000, and Fitzgerald said she’s almost there.
“They narrowed it down to the top 15, so I made the top 15 and currently now I’m trying to get into the top ten.”
Fitzgerald said if she won the competition, she would start a holistic health practice in Maine.
“My trainer Robbie, I train with him every day, he really helped me gain confidence and get out of my comfort zone and try something like that,” she said.
The journey to health and healing for her started with her semicolon tattoo located on her wrist.
“If you want your tattoos to tell a story, they can do that and mine do that for me,” she said. The semicolon tattoo represents a message of affirmation and solidarity against addiction, suicide, depression and other mental illnesses.
Fitzgerald said she was happy with how the world is responding to mental health issues.
“It’s not something you’re ashamed of if you have mental health issues,” Fitzgerald said she’s not the only Mainer vying to be Inked Magazine’s next cover girl, but if people want to vote for her, people can head to this link. and submit a vote daily.