Hello! I'm a 33 year old, Blue-eyed, Canadian Lesbian with a story to tell! I’m a person who truly loves myself. My body, my mind, my life, my story. My whole life I struggled with weight, chronic health issues, self confidence, and especially a sense of Love for myself in any capacity. I am no longer that person and I know everyone deserves to feel this sense of Love for themselves. Their Body. Their Mind. I’ve experienced many challenges in my life including health issues, a broken home, eating disorders, sexual assault, not unlike many people. I was over 200 lbs, anxious and depressed by the time COVID hit. In less than 2 years I went from being in what I thought was a happy marriage of 6 years, a career I thought I would excel in, and in general a life I thought I was at least “ok” with living. Then it all changed. Lost the house I was renting and moved into my Dad’s basement. Shortly after that, my dog gave me a severe concussion. I went from being bedridden for months, to discovering repeated instances of infidelity in my marriage, getting diagnosed with ADHD, more infidelity, was let go from a job I loved, my marriage eventually ending, and everything that goes along with that. And then, a few weeks later, my cat Milo died. And yet, BECAUSE OF, not despite of, all I went through---I have discovered a new level of love for myself and a new outlook on life. All about leading with love and trusting it will always lead to fulfillment in life. Who am I now? I am someone who lost over 120 lbs in 2 years by working on self love, not doing cardio or hitting the gym. I am someone who went through a succession of life altering events that would have broken a previous version of myself. I am someone who cannot be broken. I want to show the world a different way to find their love of self without going through a series of plot twists. Who am I? Someone with a face worth seeing and a story worth sharing.

When I first heard of the show I was immediately struck by the title of the Series. A NEW Kind of BEAUTIFUL. I thought to myself, “Now that’s exactly what this world needs to see. What this world needs to accept.” I truly believe we are all Beautiful. Every soul on this earth has aspects of light and dark within–I think, as a society we have spent more than enough time viewing ourselves, and each other through a “lack” mindset, and start loving and showcasing those aspects of ourselves that make us the individual. We need to stop the “if only I had____, I would be beautiful”. If only I had “a better body”, “different skin tone”, “different hair”, “stronger muscles”, “enough money”, the list goes on and on. Most of us have a plethora of things we wish we could change because we feel we are “lacking” something. A New Kind of Beautiful is the exact type of show needed to challenge those pre-existing thought patterns. Beauty is something that should not have gate-keepers or barriers in order for it to be seen, and honoured, within a person. A New Kind of Beautiful is a critical player operating within an established industry working to challenge these norms in a way that the general public has become accustomed to. Reality TV. Therein lies the brilliance behind this project. Entertainment, yes. A challenge to the status quo, also yes. This show has potential to really impact and attract viewers at a time in the world where there is a lot of negativity and fear. Learning to love yourself sounds scary, sure. But it is much scarier to walk through the world lacking the love we all deserve. A New Kind of Beautiful provides the spark needed to ignite the endless possibilities of “what if?”, and that is a powerful question.

I was born for this role. Be the Love you wish to see in the world. I took that to heart and I have always known it was my role to serve as a role model and inspiration for those in my life. It started in my childhood, the eldest of 3 girls, my sisters have always looked to me for support and guidance. It was a role I took seriously and very much to heart at an early age. For my sisters, I was often put in charge, helped get us out the door for school, made dinners on soccer nights, stood up for them, I was always the leader. I was never the popular kid at school, but I was always kind. I was funny, but never cruel. As I grew it always felt like a natural transition to extend this nurturing side of myself to my friends, animals, colleagues, romantic partners. I was so good at recognizing people’s needs and emotions, and handling them with a gentle grace. I was always somebody else’s biggest cheerleader. All this sounds great, everything a role model should be, what a good person should be. On the surface anyways. I’ve learned, and am still learning, that to over give to others is unsustainable. Yes, I love deeply and I truly see the beauty and heart of just about everyone I encounter, and I genuinely try to show them what I see. It is a recipe for burnout and chasing external validation. I’m learning to walk the balance of giving to others, but most importantly to myself first. To be my own cheerleader. The amount of people who have commented on how amazed they are at how I’m doing “considering”. Or they will remark at their surprise for my decisions not close my heart off to love. To not allow the negative to define my story. That there are other choices. Loving my Authentic self is my choice in life. Showing the world another choice they have for themselves is a legacy I would be honoured to inspire and model for the next generation. I’ve been doing it all my life and will always continue to strive to do. To lead with Love, always. Love for self first. Love for self flowing so freely it can’t help but overflow out into the reality around you. And if you’re out there struggling to find your beauty, to find your love of self, well guess what, baby, I’ve got you covered. Let’s work together to peel back the layers of “lack” society placed on you, so you can see what I see. For me, that would truly be a New Kind of Beautiful.