At the 72nd Annual Miss Universe pageant, pioneering beauty queen Jane Garrett became the first plus-sized competitor to place in the top 20. Her incredible journey was not without its difficulties; some people criticized and body shamed her, but in the end, many others were moved by her self-assurance and tenacity.
Garrett’s involvement in the pageant was a daring declaration about shattering conventional notions of beauty and going beyond mere competitiveness. Garrett used her position as a body-positive campaigner and nursing student to encourage self-acceptance and self-love.