They’ve picked out their glamorous dresses, practised their speeches and perfected their high-heeled walks — all in lead up to the Miss Bermuda 2014 pageant.

Eight beautiful young women will take to the stage at Fairmont Southampton Princess this Sunday — with only one walking away with the coveted title and gleaming crown.

Over the past few weeks, The Royal Gazette’s Lifestyle section has profiled six young women looking to represent the Island internationally. And with only days left until the pageant, we spoke with the two remaining contestants — Fredrika Hall (Miss Smiths) and Cocy-Lynne Simmons (Miss Devonshire) — to find out why they want to become the next Miss Bermuda.

Seventeen-year-old Cocy-Lynne Simmons might be the youngest contestant in this year’s competition, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t ready to become Miss Bermuda.

The Warwick Academy student was so eager to take part in this year’s event, she literally tracked down organiser Milika Trott-Seymour to persuade her to consider her application after the deadline date.

Miss Simmons decided she wanted to sign up for the pageant after a number of people approached her and encouraged her to do it.

“After looking further into the pageant, as well as speaking with past contestants, I knew it was a journey I wanted to take,” she said.

“This experience so far has been amazing. The other contestants have become a second family. We all got along so well from the very beginning and I am looking forward to spending more time with them.”

Miss Simmons is currently enrolled in her school’s International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme.

After graduating next year she wants to study anatomy and developmental /human biology in the United Kingdom.

If all goes well she plans to attend medical school in the United States; her dream is to become a successful Paediatric Orthopaedic Surgeon.

In addition to being smart, Miss Simmons also has some pretty impressive hobbies.

She admitted to being “quite musically inclined” and has won numerous awards for her music. She has currently reached Grade 5 Piano and enjoys playing violin in her free time.

The teenager believes being crowned Miss Bermuda 2014 will allow her to be a relatable role model for young people in the community.

“This pageant will allow me to not only develop personal skills in areas like communication, team building and educational endeavours, but additionally, it will open doors for me to travel and represent my country on a global level,” she added.

“[If I won] I would definitely celebrate with my family. However, my first goal would be to begin preparation in order to represent Bermuda in the Miss World Pageant.

“Furthermore, something I would like to be involved in is a mentoring programme for late middle school to high school aged girls, consisting of workshops designed to develop personal skills like stress management, public speaking, communication and self-confidence to name a few.”

Miss Simmons counts her mother as one of her biggest inspirations. Despite being a single mom, she managed to put her through school and raised her to have important values and morals.

“I appreciate her for supporting me both financially and emotionally in every journey I embark on in life,” Miss Simmons said. “She truly is my role model and I love her very much.”

For Fredrika Hill pageantry might just be in her genes.

Miss Hill was inspired to sign up for the Miss Bermuda Pageant, considering that her aunt was a winner some years ago.

“I thought it would be a great experience, and from some of the stories I’ve heard about her time in the pageant it sounded like fun and that I would enjoy it,” she said.

“I also felt it would help me put myself out there, and force me to be outside of my comfort zone. Many people believe that it is all about beauty, however, it’s more about the brain behind the beauty, and striving to become a poised young lady and inspiring others to do the same.”

Dancing since she was four years old, Miss Hill is currently studying her craft at The Boston Conservatory.

She counts Misty Copeland, who is considered the first African American female soloist for the American Ballet Theatre (ABT), as one of her biggest role models.

“She is an inspiration, not just because of how she has excelled in dance, but as a person,” Miss Hill said. “She fought for what she wanted, and didn’t let anyone stand in the way of her dreams of becoming a ballerina.

“I think that’s an important lesson for everyone to learn. No matter who may try to stop you, or convince you that you do not deserve something, what truly matters is what you want.”

One thing that people might be surprised to learn about Miss Hill is she’s passionate about photography. She particularly enjoys snapping pictures of the Island’s stunning landscape and sharing it with whomever she can.

Qualities that set her apart from some of the other contestants are that she’s kind and a great listener. “I also pride myself on my honesty,” she said.

Her first priority if named Miss Bermuda 2014 would be to create opportunities for the community to unite.

“Many of the opportunities I had while growing up, I no longer see available or they are not being taken advantage of,” she said. “I also feel that the spirit of Bermuda has slowly weakened over the years, I want to be able to bring the Island together and have that ‘May 24’ or ‘Cupmatch’ feeling all year round.”

But even if she doesn’t win, she has gained a lot from the pageant process so far.

It has forced her to come out of her shy and timid shell and do things she’s not 100 percent comfortable with.

She said: “I have always felt that I am my biggest obstacle, and I have chosen to try and overcome this by entering the pageant.

“I like to consider myself a perfectionist in many aspects of my life, but with this pageant I have been able to accept that nothing is ever perfect, and that’s okay.”

She has also been able to meet an amazing group of young ladies and enjoy lots of support from family and friends.