Our second photoshoot competition winner – Tracy’s Confidence-Boosting Photoshoot

After having a tough childhood and losing her husband at 30 she is now ready to take care of herself…

After taking care of everyone but herself, Tracy felt it was now time to look after herself. I completely agree, which is why I was happy to announce her as one of my competition winners. I wanted to give her this gift of a confidence-boosting photoshoot!

Tracy is a very brave and inspiring woman. After all the hard moments in her life, from her tough childhood to losing her husband and nursing her mum, each time she always got back up and started her life over again. It doesn’t sound like it was easy but she always got there in the end.

I love how doing this shoot has boosted Tracy’s confidence and inspired her to do other things…

“After the shoot, I’ve now committed myself to join a mindfulness group, which will help me develop more and it is time totally for me. Thank you, Ginny!” – Tracy

Tracy entered my competition to win a confidence-boosting photoshoot, which was featured in The Farnham Herald newspaper. Tracy’s story was then published the week commencing 10th October 2019.

The competition to win a Gorgeous You photoshoot at my studio in Surrey…

The competition was for women who were in real need of a confidence boost; and who wanted to celebrate themselves as they are or how far they’ve come. I also wanted the winner to be someone who was happy to share their story and wouldn’t mind being featured in the paper and on my blog etc; I was hoping that it would help others who had been through something similar. Inspired women will always inspire others!

Each and every person who entered deserved a confidence-boosting photoshoot. So I ended up choosing two winners, and I think both are such inspirational, brave, strong women. Here is Tracy the second winner, please read her story below:

Tracy’s sad but inspiring story…

“I was inspired after reading Ginny’s story in the Herald paper. I have spent my life hiding away after being tormented through school for being fat and different from others. My teenage years were very hard when my parents split. My Dad didn’t want anything to do with me… but he kept in contact with my sister. This made me think that there was something different with me again. So I used drugs and alcohol to try and make myself feel better, but it never did. I then fell pregnant at 17 but I was lucky enough however to have found the man of my dreams. And we got married.

“I nursed my husband at home… he died of a brain tumour; he was only 34”

I took the worse blow ever at the age of 29 when my husband was diagnosed with a brain tumour, I nursed him at home and only 6 months later he died. He was only 34. This completely changed mine and my daughter’s life. I went back to feeling inadequate, I used things to try and make myself feel better, but nothing ever did. My weight went up and down continuously and I had no desire to live.

I went on a ridiculous drinking spree, I just wanted to shut everything out. I neglected my oldest daughter. And did drugs.

And I remember trying to commit suicide.

One of my friends sent me a CD of the pop group REM. I listened to it, and it made me realise I did have a life.

After a long period of time, I met my second husband and had two more daughters, my life was going well. I started to love myself again, got my career on track and loved exercise. But because I was so happy I started to put the weight back on that I’d lost when everything had gone wrong.

Then my mum and step-dad both became poorly… so again I put my life on hold to support them. I had all these emotions coming back because I hadn’t grieved properly for my first husband. My step-dad died last year. This meant I became a sole carer for my mum. She nearly died three times from sepsis; I gave up on my life and my family to help her.

Four months ago, it was like God had answered my prayers. My mum miraculously got better and started to rebuild her life. I was able to go back to my career as a chef for a local nursing home. And I have started to look after my body again. I did a 22-mile challenge to swim the Channel. Before, I would never have been able to do anything like that.

I try to get across to people that even though I’m not a size ten, I’m probably fitter than any of them… You don’t have to be thin to be able to be healthy or to enjoy swimming or walking.

Now I take time out for me. I’ll make myself swim three times a week – I’ll try to do 40 lengths a time. And even though I know what everyone is seeing and thinking (because of my size), I know I can actually outswim anyone.
I try to get across to people that even though I’m not a size ten, I’m probably fitter than any of them.

And that’s what I try to inspire my children with. You don’t have to be thin to be able to be healthy or to enjoy swimming or walking.

However, I have neglected myself for so long I feel I need the inspiration to start to love myself again for who I am. That is why I entered the competition to have a Gorgeous You confidence-boosting photoshoot with Ginny.”

Tracy’s thoughts about her shoot experience:

“The photoshoot was the scariest thing I’ve done in a long time! It took me completely out of my comfort area, but as soon as I arrived Ginny and her team made me feel relaxed and welcome – and that made a huge difference.

It was way better than I expected.  Actually, I think the whole package is really quite amazing. I was nervous, but the hair and makeup lady calmed me down and she was lovely to be with.

“My photos are really nice. So nice that I now realise that the compliments that have been made about me are true!”

I used to hide away if I had to have a picture, or just turn it into black and white, but now, I like coloured pictures, and I loved the fact that I wore a full-length dress.

“Honestly, the photoshoot has really boosted my confidence and I would definitely tell anyone else in my situation to just go for it.”

“Yes, it is very hard to put yourself out there, and no one wants to appear conceited, but it has really helped with my self-confidence. It can be a challenge and even a brave thing to do – but it has had so much impact on me that it has inspired me to do other things.

After the shoot, I’ve now committed myself to join a mindfulness group, which will help me develop more and it is time totally for me. Thank you, Ginny!”

Thanks so much to Tracy for entering the competition and putting her trust in me to help boost her confidence.

Check out our other competition winner’s story and beautiful photos HERE.

Photographer: Ginny Marsh- Gorgeous You Photography

Hair and Make-up: Kelly from Natasha Wiggins

If you’d love to have a photoshoot like Tracy, I’d love to hear from you! Please get in touch.

Ginny x

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