A woman who was bullied over her "thick" legs got the last laugh – by becoming a successful model.
Victoria Matosa has an incurable condition called lipoedema, which causes an abnormal build-up of fat in the legs.
It can be painful and effect mobility, which cruel trolls latched onto.
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The 26-year-old, from Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, was branded a "penguin" because of how she walks.
And for years, she hid her body away under baggy clothes in a bid to avoid nasty insults.
She said: “I always had thick legs but it started to get worse after [I started getting] my period [and] I couldn’t even wear shorts outside the house, I felt too ashamed.
“I started to avoid going to the beach and only [wore] leggings and jeans, which made me very uncomfortable, [as well as] distancing myself from friends out of embarrassment.
“Due to bullying and pressure to always be doing a lot of exercise to lose weight, I tried many restrictive diets, which resulted in me binge-eating.
“I [used to] spend three hours in the gym until I reached exhaustion, giving up and then eating compulsively.”
Victoria began accepting herself when she was diagnosed with lipoedema in February 2023.
But while she was "relieved" to learn that the swelling in her legs wasn't her fault, it was hard to learn she may require surgery in the future.
Victoria said: “It was a mixture of feelings – before, I blamed myself for not being able to lose weight in my legs, even working out intensely.
“Now, I go to the gym and have an anti-inflammatory diet, but I don’t feel ready to [have an] operation, as I’d have to do three liposuctions.
“I feel sad and discouraged with each passing day [but] I try to accept and love myself more.”
Victoria has taken great steps in her journey to self love – but admits it hasn't always been easy.
She receives horrible comments from online trolls, which she tries to ignore as best she can.
Victoria added: “I’ve already suffered a lot of bullying on the internet, people didn’t like me because of my weight and my body.
“I got tired of receiving messages of curses that only had the objective of hurting me.
“This continues to be routine in my life, only different than before, because I don’t let these people make me feel like a monster."
Instead, she focuses on the positivity she receives on Instagram.
She boasts more than 4.3 million supportive fans on the platform, where she posts modelling shots and spreads awareness about her condition.
Victoria added: “I want to be able to help other women, because after revealing lipoedema on Instagram, I had several reports from women who felt bad and didn’t know they had this.”
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