WHAT began as a joke has culminated with Ally Woodward reaching the final of an international beauty competition.
Ally, from Pentre Cwrt near Llandysul, has struggled with weight issues her entire life, but reaching the final of Miss Plus Size International has given her renewed confidence about the way she looks.
The 27-year-old has told of her shock at reaching the final of the prestigious contest.
She said: "I was just a bit shocked and I think I said 'are you serious'. I was really surprised."
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Ally is 5ft 10in and has size eight feet, so was always bigger than most girls growing up.
She said: "I got bullied at school.
"I always felt that my face was alright, but I always felt different because of my size."
But after years spent battling personal demons and self-consciousness she has never been happier.
Not only has Ally beaten off competition from 1,100 other women to reach the final, she is also busy organising her wedding to her fiance Tom. But things were very different just two years ago.
Back then Ally was homeless, having left an unhappy relationship with her former boyfriend. She was six stone heavier and felt awful about her predicament.
She said: "I lived in Cardiff and I moved in with my best friend and we had a big flat warming party. I met Tom randomly and it went from there."
She now lives with her fiance in Pentre Cwrt and is looking forward to marrying in Newcastle Emlyn, something she once believed would never happen.
Despite weighing 17.5 stone Ally claims she feels very healthy.
She said: "I feel healthy. I have never been healthier than I am today.
"Last weekend I ran the Cardiff Half Marathon, which was great."
According to Ally too much emphasis is put on weight, and not enough attention is paid to health. She claims it is possible to be healthy without being thin.
She has also blasted the way some glossy magazines portray women.
"The pressure that women face now is unbelievable.
"Any magazine you buy is guaranteed to have one story on a celebrity who has cellulite, one story on a celebrity who is too thin, one story on a celebrity who is too fat and a two- week diet plan.
"These are the images that we are constantly bombarded with.
"The focus should be on being healthy."
Ally has tried on many occasions to shed weight quickly through magazine diets, but found they made her miserable and failed to keep her weight down. By now Ally is happy with the way she looks and wants to use her success in Miss Plus Size International to inspire other bigger girls.
The London event, presented by TV presenter Jeff Brazier and Steps singer Claire Richards aims to show how bigger women can also be beautiful.
Ally will take part in three catwalk rounds, modelling swimwear, casual wear and evening wear.
Her family and friends have been hugely supportive of her efforts and she has also received support from designer Julien Macdonald, who sent her vouchers for one of his dresses.
The amount of publicity she has received globally has astounded Ally.
She said: "There was a story about me in the Times of India, which is the largest selling English language newspaper in the world.
"It was all so surreal."
The Miss Plus Size International final takes place in London on November 23.
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