Westmeath woman to compete in finals of Miss Bikini Ireland
Bikini season is here already for Westmeath native, Kivar Reis, who is set to compete in the finals of the Miss Bikini Ireland 2025 competition in May.
Modelling seems to come naturally to the 25-year-old, who only got into it after she joined the competition.
“I had applied in October for Miss Bikini and I got into the final, so I knew I had to prepare and gain some confidence in front of the camera,” Kivar said.
“I had my first photoshoot in November, which I booked myself, and I pushed myself to get out there and do it. It was scary going into a studio with lots of models who have been doing this for a long time and know what they’re at, but everybody was so nice and helpful and I actually ended up really enjoying myself. I’ve made lots of new friends out of it too,” the Mullingar woman continued.
Preparation is tough, she added, and the moment she found out she’d made it to the final, she got a personal trainer.
“I was never uncomfortable in my body before, but I wanted to feel and look my best for this competition,” she said.
“It’s been intense, training and meal prepping, and I also work a full-time job in social care with people who have disabilities on top of that, so it can be quite intense and tiring doing it all, but I’ve been managing quite well.”
Kivar is focused and driven, going to the gym five days a week, and running twice a week.
At the weekends, she goes to Pacemates, a social running club in Mullingar, and she ran the Aon Mullingar Half Marathon on St Patrick’s Day.
“That’s seven days a week on top of a full-time job and meal prep,” she said, “I used to be very sick years ago, in and out of hospital with my asthma all of the time, so the fact I can work out seven days a week is beyond an accomplishment for me.
“I can’t believe I’m at a point in my life where my health doesn’t affect me as much. That was a personal goal for me.”
As part of Miss Bikini Ireland, there will be a portfolio shoot with a professional photographer, a brand awareness photoshoot and catwalk training.
Once she has mastered those skills, Kivar will be in with a chance of going to the world finals of Swimsuit USA International to compete for a top prize worth $80,000.
It takes a lot of confidence to get involved in something like this, but Kivar has a “just do it” attitude when it comes to trying new things.
“At the beginning, I found it so hard to post on social media like TikTok, listening back to my own voice, cringing at myself,” she said.
“But I now have so many brands reaching out and asking for collaborations, which is beyond wild. If you’d asked me this time last year, I would never have thought I would be in the position I’m in now. I would never have posted on TikTok or done reels on Instagram.
“I would love to tell people to just do it, because there’s no one who is going to push you to succeed better than yourself. Set a small goal and achieve it and then on to the next.”