Finally I'm Happy With My Body!

After going from a size 22 to a 12, Sophie Hardy finally had the confidence to realise her dreams...

- Rosalind Ryan

Although I tried to lose weight as a teenager, my unhealthy eating habits proved hard to break and I ended up regaining whatever I’d lost – and more.

To hide the insecurity I felt about my body, I often joked around and, by my twenties, I’d developed a confident persona. It was my protective shell.

By 2015, I weighed 17st 9lb and was wearing a size 22. It meant dressing the way I wanted was a challenge, especially when one of the few things I could squeeze into was a shapeless pair of trousers.

I’ve always been passionate about fashion and believe that anyone can look great at any size, so when I saw a magazine offering real women the chance to model fora high-street brand, I decided to take a risk and enter.

I was one of three women chosen and, although I felt awkward when some of the clothes at the photo shoot didn’t fit me, I loved the experience, especially having my make-up done and posing in front of the camera.

I was definitely bitten by the modelling bug, and several professionals at the shoot told me I was a natural.

After the photos appeared in print, a modelling agency got in touch to say they’d like to work with me. But despite the positive feedback, I didn’t feel happy enough with my body to put myself out there like that again, so I thought of it as just a great one-off experience.

A new way of life