Plus sized woman is now a fashion week catwalk star after near-death experience

A formerly obese woman has opened up about how a near-death experience finally gave her the motivation to lose weight, and achieve her dream of becoming a catwalk model.

Dominique Montgomery, a 21-year-old who hails from Los Angeles, had always been insecure about her weight and had to endure a lifetime of cruel taunts and bullying from strangers. But after shedding an incredible 10 stone, Dominique is now strutting her stuff on the runway at the USA’s celebrated Los Angeles Fashion Week.

Dominique spent most of her life trying to slim down and had been dieting since the age of five. After trying and failing to lose weight on a number of diets, she eventually resigned herself to a lifetime of obesity, and regularly binging on fast food and takeaways, washed down with soda. She regularly consumed at least 5,000 calories a day.

However, during a day at the beach with friends, Dominique narrowly avoided drowning when the tide suddenly rose. She was too heavy to lift herself onto the rocks to safety and it was only chance that kept her alive.

Credit: Press Association

After this scary incident, Dominique resolved to change and began managing her portion sizes properly, eating home-cooked meals, and working out five times a week.

Although she still needs surgery to get rid of some of the excess skin she's been left with, she now feels more confident than ever. Commenting on her weight loss in a recent interview, she stated: "I always wanted to model, but was so focused on being overweight that I had no idea how it would happen. But now, my confidence has improved so much and I have learned not to be so hard on myself. I can’t explain how exciting it feels to be up on that runway."

She added: "I was swimming around, feeling great, when all of a sudden, the tide got high. Everyone managed to push themselves out of the water onto some rocks, but I was stuck, because I wasn’t physically able to lift myself out. Everyone tried to help, but I was too heavy. I thought I was going to die and had no idea what to do. I was terrified. If I couldn’t even help myself out of the water, then what was I doing with my life?"

So many people have been impressed by her transformation that Dominique has now decided to launch her own personal training company!

"Lots of people were asking me how to lose weight," she stated, "So I wanted to devise something that tackles fitness and nutrition as well as mindset. It’s important to look at why people have gotten to that point, and what is stunting their progress. I am hoping to eventually make it an online business, so anyone from anywhere in the world can get involved."

Credit: Press Association

In October 2018, Dominique fulfilled her lifelong ambition to become a runway star at Los Angeles Fashion Week. She hired herself an agent and began modelling for brands like Lorenz Couture and Esti Nay, as well as showcasing her looks in The Model Experience and Model Mafia LA. She's even written a book called The Gift, in which she shares everything she has learnt about confidence, self-belief and achieving goals.

Well done to you Dominique: you really are an inspiration!