Miss Scotland finalist skydiving after family cancer trauma

Rhiannon Cowan, a 23-year-old Barrhead resident, will be taking part in the prestigious Miss Scotland 2024 final on August 23 at The Corinthian in Glasgow.

The winner, from Barrhead, will not be chosen on good looks alone though, with the girls being put through a number of different challenges to test their creativity, fitness and character.

Rhiannon will be taking part in the upcoming Miss Scotland final (Image: Supplied)

One component involves competing to see which of the finalists can raise the most money for a charity close to their heart. Rhiannon says her choice was a “no-brainer,” after her stepdad William was diagnosed with myeloma - a form of bone marrow cancer - early in 2022.

“It started with a pain in his chest,” she said. “He thought he’d just pulled a muscle. But it never got any better, so eventually he went to have it looked at, and they said it was multiple myeloma.

“William’s always been very fit and healthy. He’s been going to the gym every morning for as long as I can remember, and he doesn’t drink. He was only 50 at the time, so it came as a massive shock.

“If you catch myeloma early enough, you can take medication that stops it developing. But unfortunately, that wasn’t the case for William.”

Rhiannon with stepdad William, right, and mum Fiona, left (Image: Supplied)

As if that wasn’t bad enough, William’s diagnosis came whilst Rhiannon’s mum Fiona was undergoing treatment for breast cancer.

“Mum had just been through chemo and was having radiotherapy,” Rhiannon said. “Then all of sudden, her rock, big strong William, gets this cancer that usually affects older men. It seemed like everything was falling apart.

“It was really difficult. It’s just me, mum and William in the house, so I had to step up and be the strong one for them both. It was really hard for all of us.”

Thankfully, Rhiannon’s mum has recovered fully. William has responded well to treatment, although sadly the nature of myeloma means that it will likely return at some stage.

William, Rhiannon and Fiona. Rhiannon recently graduated with a 1st class law degree from UWS (Image: Supplied)

Rhiannon says that the experience has given her and her family a different perspective on things.

“It’s really made us appreciate the little things in life, and be more grateful for things,” she said.

“You never really think this kind of thing is going to happen to you, or to someone in your family. It’s definitely made me more grateful for my health, and for having my family.

“So despite all the negatives, it’s definitely had a positive impact on my outlook on life.”

Rhiannon also praised Myeloma UK, who supports those like her stepdad suffering from the illness but also helps search for a cure.

Almost 6000 people in the UK are diagnosed with the condition every year, but treatments are much more effective now than even 10 years ago, thanks to the work of Myeloma UK and others.

A happy family with a new perspective on life (Image: Supplied)

Rhiannon was all set to skydive on August 17, but unfortunately, adverse weather conditions have forced her to rearrange. She’s already raised £730 for the charity on her GoFundMe, which can be found at: https://tinyurl.com/k4kz78ch.

Having completed the fitness and social media challenges, Rhiannon now has her sights firmly set on the Miss Scotland final.

“I’ve wanted to be a model ever since I was five,” she said, “so I’m really excited.”

Rhiannon says she's always wanted to be a model (Image: Supplied)

Whether or not she takes home the tiara, Rhiannon will have achieved her goal.

“I just wanted to raise as much money as possible to help find a cure really, and help other people like my stepdad.”