Six years ago, I began a new career, aged 46 as a model. I’m a UK size 14-16, with grey hair and a 34G bust.

I didn’t plan to do this; it just sort of happened at a time when I least expected it. After getting divorced at 39 I went to university and gained a BA in Education Studies and worked as a nursery teacher which I loved. My eldest daughter was struggling with severe anxiety which in the end led to home schooling and me having to leave work. This really knocked my confidence and I felt very isolated for what felt like a long period of time. I was asked to model in a local MacMillan cancer charity fashion show by a close friend and although nervous about it I agreed. This was just the thing to help me regain my confidence, because it took me out of my comfort zone, and it was exhilarating. I had also decided to stop colouring my hair after battling grey hair since I was a teenager. It’s hard to explain but for the first time I truly felt like me, this in turn helped my confidence grow even more. After volunteering for MacMillan for a few years I decided to send photos off to agencies after some encouragement from others and to my surprise I was offered contracts.
I am now signed exclusively with Bridge models in London, which is a specific curve agency. I find it incredibly frustrating that the fashion industry still divides women into size categories and class anything over a UK 12 ‘plus size’. Especially when you consider that the average woman’s size in the UK is a size 16.
I love my new career, I get to meet so many different people, travel and wear some fabulous clothes, including swimwear and lingerie. Within my first year I helped break barriers when I appeared in a ground-breaking Swimsuits for All campaign in 2018, with Ashley Graham and Lizzo and my career was launched from there. But the thing I have become most passionate about is being able to represent women in midlife and help challenge the media and fashion industry.  I am finally happy in my skin and have never felt more confident about my body, but I am aware so many women in midlife come to a body confidence crisis and when you look at how invisible we are in the media, advertising and fashion industry it’s hardly surprising.
How we feel about our bodies can have such a detrimental impact on our everyday lives. Looking back, I can see how my lack of body confidence stopped me from trying so many things when I was younger. It feels liberating to not worry about wearing a bikini at the beach or showing my cellulite to the world, there are far more important things going on in the world right now than a few lumps and wobbles. I know so many women who are now so much stronger and fitter in their midlife, taking up new sports and activities, how about sports brands using and highlighting these women in their campaigns and imagery? I think women in their midlife have an inner confidence that exudes beauty and sexuality, to be celebrated and admired. Wouldn’t it be nice to go lingerie shopping in a department store and see models in their forties and fifties as well as the younger women? I want to be able to relate to the images and imagine how I would look in them, instead we are bombarded by youth which often leads us down a negative ageing body comparison. You can imagine how proud I was when I recently walked past Bravissimo, a national lingerie brand to see a large picture front stage of me at 51 in their window. Another win for the older woman!