Sophia endured years of cruel taunts - “fatty”, “man-beast”, “whale” and even “big jugs” from a young age and never imagined she would have the courage to step out on stage in a bikini.
But after beating more than 1,000 curvy contestants, Sophia nabbed the top spot and prestigious prize in the company’s annual Star in a Bra competition. Now modelling agencies up and down the country have made her offers, all keen to snap her up. And her boyfriend of five years, Adrian Antonie, a council tax worker, remains her “rock”.
The half-Greek, half-Iranian beauty says: “Now I’ve won, I hope all the nasty, horrible bullies flick through the magazines and see me. I’ll have the last laugh now I’m a plus-size model.”
Sophia admits she thought she was too big even for a plus-size competition. She recalls: “There were girls at the auditions with stunning bodies. But when they announced I had won, I couldn’t believe it. It was madness — it’s still surreal even now.
During school, Sophia was always teased about her larger frame and bigger bust.
Sophia, who now weighs 13st 7lb, says:
“My boobs started growing when I was nine, so I was very developed compared to the other girls. In primary school I would get left out of a lot of games. The children would say things like, ‘it’s a two-person game’, and similar childish remarks. They’d call me fatty and tubby — they didn’t know how much their words used to hurt me. It never made me want to lose weight, I’d just eat more and more.
“I’d try dieting but I like my food too much. I’m really healthy with what I choose to eat, plus my figure is so prominent because I’m so short and my boobs are huge. But now it’s my time. I have finally bounced back from the bullies’ comments and fully embraced my curves and larger breasts.”Despite her new-found confidence about her body, Sophia, from Northolt, North West London, hasn’t always enjoyed being the bigger girl.
Sophia says:
“I was always envious of the skinny girls throughout school, and when my breasts started to develop, I realised there was no chance I would ever be like them. After leaving school I became a bra fitter and some friends told me about this competition. They persuaded me to enter.
“I never thought I’d get through the first round, especially growing up with all the horrible remarks.”
Sophia still catches men — and sometimes women — ogling her and often gets wolf-whistled.
She says: “Despite all the negative comments I’ve had in the past, I had a thirst to prove something to myself.
“Sometimes I think women look at me in envy as my confidence is always shining through and sometimes I think they look at me because they think I’m fat.”
Source: The Sun