Mum-of-two whose eight-year-old daughter was horrifically bullied for her looks becomes a plus-size model to inspire her girl
The size 18 model took up modelling to show her daughter how important it is to embrace yourself and that it's ok to be different
A MUM-OF-TWO whose eight-year-old daughter was bullied over her looks has become a plus size model to inspire her.
Jerri Hoath, from London, claims she used to be bullied from a young age over the colour of her skin, which made her vow never to let her daughter Navaeah feel as bad as she once did.
But the 26-year-old was horrified to discover the tot coming home from school with scratches on her back – and even caught her in the bath trying to scrub her skin off.
Jerri said: "I caught Navaeah frantically scrubbing her skin in the bath one day after she'd been at school and it broke my heart.
"She was asking me why I'd made her that way and why I gave her that skin colour and it was awful."
The heartbroken mum, who never had any confidence in herself, decided to take up modelling to show her daughter how important it is to embrace yourself and that it's ok to be different.
She said: "I wanted to help her and show her that there's not only one type of beauty in the world.
"But when you hate yourself and the way you look, how are you supposed to teach your daughter to love her body? That made me want to change."
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Two years ago, Jerri was approached by Ms Curvaceous UK, who told her she should enter their modelling competition for plus size women.
She decided to go and see what it was like and to her surprise, she said she felt like she finally fit in somewhere for the first time in her life.
Since then Jerri, who is a size 18 model, said has built up her confidence by posing in swimwear and doing catwalk modelling - all of which she thanks her daughter for.
Now Jerri, who also has a four-year-old daughter called Tiani, models nearly every week while working as a pre-school teacher.
She's even won an award for the Best International Plus Size Model in Curvaceous Redemption Magazine in the US.
Despite being the biggest she has ever been, she says she feels more happy and confident than ever before.
Single mum Jerri added: "Being a plus size model has been one of the best things that's ever happened to me, I just hope that I can inspire other people just like I've hopefully inspired my daughters.
"I think now me and Navaeah have taught Tiani to love herself no matter what because she knows that she's fabulous, she tells everyone and won't let anyone put her down.
"Your body is a temple so I take care of myself but I'm a plus size model and I embrace that."