‘We don't let anything stand in the way of our dreams'

These three inspiring women prove it just takes determination to achieve your goals

‘I’m big and beautiful’

Kat Henry, 38, from Oxted in Surrey, became the first ever plus-size Ms Great Britain…

I was a confident child, then puberty hit. Aged 16, I fell pregnant with my daughter Mya, now 20, and ballooned to a size 28.

It wasn’t just my weight, there was my smile too. My calcium deficiency means even eating a banana can break my teeth.

In 2014 I was in Nando’s, eating chicken, and my front tooth broke. I realised then I needed to get to the dentist. They removed 16 broken teeth in one sitting, making me one of the youngest people to have dentures. I then found the confidence to take part in beauty pageants – I found my smile again.

I documented the whole journey on YouTube as my ‘Denture Adventure’ and gained 20,000 followers.

I also have vitiligo, a long-term condition where pale white patches develop on my skin. When I started modelling, editors edited the patches out, which only added to my insecurities.

Today, after dealing with taunts about my weight, skin and teeth, I’ve finally found the strength to accept myself. My mum died of Covid-19 during the height of the pandemic, but she would have wanted me to be strong, so because of her I keep striving for my goals.

I’ve qualified as a Zumba instructor, a lifelong dream, and I was crowned the very first plus-size Ms Great Britain – the only one in the 76 years the competition’s been running. Only three women of colour have ever won the prize.