From such a young age I was really insecure. I was a shy kid, I was always quite chunky and bigger than my best friend. I always had that insecurity through most of my childhood and all of my adolescence.

'It's a personal journey, about how you arrive at a place where you feel, if not happy or in love with who you are, that you feel at peace with who you are.

My womanhood, for me, is my wild. I must let myself be wild. And that's when I remember who I am.

I had a traumatic abortion two years ago. I feel uncomfortable using the word ‘traumatic’ next to the word abortion as it seems somehow un-feminist. I want to make clear I very much believe in this as a human right. It shouldn’t be a political issue, or in any way up for debate.

It was only during the deepest pain of heartbreak that I realised my womanhood was tethered to my spirit, and so much more influenced by how I viewed it and chose to define it than by others.

I’m in my late twenties now and I’ve decided that life’s too short to worry.  These days, I’m mainly appreciative of what my body can do, whether that’s climbing up a wall or slamming a forehand.  I’m just enjoying feeling strong and confident and to me, that’s more important than living up to a particular image of what my body “should” look like.

I’m on my biggest journey of womanhood to date. On the road to becoming a mother. All those responsibilities I’ve seen the women in my family go through and it’s happening to me.

I won’t pretend it’s been an easy road, but now more and more I can look in the mirror and tell myself with honesty that I look damn hot and sexy, not in-spite of the skin bulging over the top of my tight thong but because of it.