I'm in Pole Position to Beat my Bullies

Who cares what people say online – I love pole dancing!

- Laura Moore

As a little girl, I was a ballet dancer. I loved prancing around in my leotard.

But before I hit my teens, all that changed.

As well as dancing, I loved my food – and it started to show.

Soon, I felt too self-conscious to show my chubby bits, so I packed in my ballet lessons.

But my love of food didn’t slow down. I’d feed my cravings for salty bags of crisps three times a day.

With red hair, and tall for my age, you couldn’t miss me when I walked into a room.

By age 16, I’d ballooned to a size 16.

‘Fatty!’ the bullies sneered.

Once, some lads threw unlit fireworks at me, jeering as I fled.

I felt so ashamed, I began covering my curves in baggy T-shirts and jeans.

At 18, I met John, then 28, in a nightclub.

‘You’re beautiful,’ he told me.

But I couldn’t see it.