By Dayne Hudson
Some people never give up on their dreams - and 29-year-old Tess Holliday is one of them.
Tess was bullied for years about her size but never gave up on her desire to become a model.
At just 5 feet 5 inches, Tess was told she's too "short and fat" to ever achieve this dream.
But now this mother of 1 has silenced all her critics - landing not only a modeling contract but appearing in the respect magazine publication Vogue.
She is a size 22; officially the largest professional plus-size model in the business.
Tess Holliday was forced to go through years of abuse and bullying in Mississippi, where she grew up.
As a teenager she traveled to Atlanta for a model casting, but was told she didn't fit the description of a model.
"My mom always encouraged me...but the rest of my friends and family thought I was nuts" she said.
Just recently, MiLK Model Management announced their deal with Tess via Instagram.
"I think we're the only agency with a model of her size. She is by far the largest model I have in the Curves division," said Anna Shillinglaw, the owner/director of MiLk Model Management.
Anna came across Tess on Instagram and was blown away at how many followers she had, and the responses she was receiving from her bikini and underwear shots.
Some of Tess's captions read: "I hope this makes you realize that it's okay to be yourself, even if you happen to exist in a fat body."
Tess has had her fair share of critics, claiming she's too big and is unhealthy.
But Tess insists she's very active - working with a trainer and exercising at least 4 days a week.
"I never sit down. If I'm not shooting twelve hours a day, I'm out doing errands and going to meetings," she said.
Good on her - what an achievement!
You can follow Tess Holliday on Instagram via @tessholliday
