By Despina Karpathiou
Gone are the days when beauty pageants focused solely on the physical appearance of contestants. Pageants have evolved into platforms where ambitious and determined young women can make a name for themselves and stand up for causes they believe in.
One such young woman is Chleo Eve, a women’s and youth peer support worker from Chadstone, Victoria.
She sat down with The Greek Herald to share her vision for the future and discuss competing for the title of Miss Galaxy Australia 2025.
Chleo is 21 years old but is wise beyond her years. Her father was Greek, but sadly, he passed away when she was only four years old.
“I was raised by my mum, and she did everything to connect me with my Greek culture, from cooking lessons with our Greek neighbours to teaching us kids Greek,” she said.
Chleo is very excited for this year’s pageant season, as she was able to create an outfit that represents her heritage. She has many achievements she’s proud of and found it challenging to choose just one.
“At the end of 2024, in just two months, I was able to raise funds for women, members of the LGBT community, and young people. The issues they faced included homelessness, sexual assault, domestic violence, and hate crimes. In those two months, we, as a community, raised $5,000!”
This is Chleo’s third year competing in pageants.
“I first joined Galaxy Pageants because I wanted to learn to love myself for who I am, build confidence, and make friends. In my first year, I met so many amazing people with incredible backgrounds and challenges they’ve had to face, and then they turned those challenges into something beautiful. These women are advocating and making true changes in their communities,” she said.
Chleo was so inspired by this experience that she now has her own platform: More Than Bananas, advocating against sexual assault and domestic violence, as well as promoting consent training.
She chose Miss Galaxy Australia because she felt she truly embodied the pageant’s motto: “Be the Best Version of Yourself.”
“In the three years I’ve competed with them, I feel like I’ve truly become the best version of myself!” she said.
In 2023, Chleo competed in her first pageant and took home the #GalaxyGirl award.
“I was the first person to ever win this award. It was because I demonstrated the true values of their system: courage, bravery, and sisterhood,” she explained.
In 2024, she won the Miss Congeniality award, given to the contestant voted most supportive and friendly by her fellow competitors. Chleo hopes that through her platform More Than Bananas and her work as a peer support worker, she can make a difference for women who have experienced domestic violence and sexual assault.
“I created my platform to bring to the Galaxy stage. I believe that if we provide children and young adults with the right education about friendships and relationships, and if we implement consent training workshops in workplaces, we will be able to see real change,” she said.
Chleo also feels that there are many misconceptions about pageants, particularly the notion that it’s a race to the crown.
“For me, it’s always been about my own personal journey and running my own race to be the best version of myself,” she said.
One topic that’s especially important today is confidence, particularly considering the impact of social media. Many young women struggle with confidence and self-esteem, and Chleo has some advice for her peers.
“Learning to love yourself and gaining confidence can be a hard and long journey for some. Surrounding yourself with positive people, finding a hobby you love, and taking time to give yourself some TLC is so important,” she said.
In five years, Chleo hopes to have a successful career in the fashion industry for pageant girls.
“I love designing my own clothes while competing. Last year, a young girl competing for Miss Global had me design her national costume. It brought me such joy to see my design on stage, worn by someone other than myself,” she said.
