“I really like getting dolled up,” Ms Steed said. “It gives me a goal in my life. Previously as a stay at home mum it gave me something, a goal to aspire to, and it changed my life.” 

When she walks into the Rish Nightclub in her bikini outfit to practice her routine for the competition to be held Saturday night, she points out on her body where she perceives extra cellulite to be. 

An observer calls out; “if you have to point it out, it means it’s not there.” 

Heat organiser Jennifer Hewer notices the lifestyle transformation for many of the local competitors who have competed in past modelling competitions, including Ms Steed.

It was Ms Hewer that encouraged Ms Steed to enter the Face of Origin modelling competition in the nightclub last July.

It was Ms Steed’s first modelling competition, but afterwards she was inspired to increase her exercise and changed her diet to paleo – meaning no pasta or processed foods. 

“I decided to lose weight for the first time in my life," Ms Steed said. “Last year in Face of Origin, I saw how beautiful the other girls were. 

“And I just wanted to be like them because they have healthy, happy lives. And I didn’t.” 

In preparation for this upcoming swimwear competition Ms Steed trains at the gym seven days a week, developing both cardio and strength. On six of these days she fits in two gym sessions. 

Ms Steed said the competition to her was about motivation. 

“It’s inspiring other girls to me, to do something they probably thought they couldn’t have,” she said.

“And it gives me a good story for my social online media.” Ms Steed has an online presence through regular vlogs. “And I made lifelong friends I see every day.” 

There are 13 entrants registered to compete in the Mount Isa heat. The winner will compete on the Gold Coast with the national finalists. 

The three rounds in the Mount Isa heat are the cocktail round, the new fantasy swimwear round, and the final bikini round. 

It will be the first modelling competition for Lucy Swinney, who was planning to dress as Harley Quinn in the fantasy swimwear round. 

She entered the competition at the urging of a friend, but also saw it as an opportunity to show off a cosplay outfit. 

Ms Swinney collects cosplay outfits but Mount Isa is far from pop culture expos of the coastal cities. So what she did was buy the outfits, wear them at home, and share her photographs online. 

It took Ms Swinney three days to determine what cosplay outfit she would wear for the fantasy swimwear round of the competition. She decided on Batman villain and DC anti-hero Harley Quinn, recently portrayed by Margie Robbie in the movie Suicide Squad.

It was her most recognisable outfit but she had considered costumes from animi Full Metal Alchemist and Yugioh.

“But I was mainly thinking what different types of Harley Quinn I could have done," she said. 

Heat organiser Jennifer Hewer was pleased all the competitors were local women.

In the local heat of last year’s competition many of the observers were also women, keen to support their friends and family on stage.

Ms Hewer acknowledged this was the case in Mount Isa because friends and family knew how hard these women prepared. 

“People come to see the people that put in the hard efforts,” Ms Hewer said. “They want them to excel.” 

Tickets at the door are $30. DJ duo Bombs Away and artist Courtney Mills perform at the event.