One quick glance through The Bachelor contestant Gemma White’s perfectly curated Instagram – full of gorgeous adventures, beauty pageants and bikini snaps – and it’s hard to imagine the stunning 28-year-old was ever the subject of bullying.
But at just 15 years old, Gemma was tormented by her peers.
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(Instagram)During an interview with The Courier Mail back in 2017, the anti-bullying I Can I Will ambassador revealed she dropped a whopping 26 kilograms due to the bullying she received.
“I was 26kg heavier than I am now. There’s nothing wrong with being bigger or smaller, but it’s a matter of being happy,” she revealed at the time.
“I was huge compared to everyone else in my year and I was bullied for that, and the fact is that one in three children are bullied.”
Gemma reflected on her journey in an Instagram post.
(Instagram)Beginning her weight loss journey at 15, Gemma dropped the kilos over two years, before joining a deportment and modelling school at 17.
The bullying, however, didn’t stop.
“I then copped bullying on the other side with people saying, ‘Oh, she must be bulimic’, but I was able to overcome that,” the reality star, who is currently competing for Locky Gilbert’s heart on the 2020 season of The Bachelor, explained.
Gemma was able to “overcome” the bullying she endured at 15.
(Instagram)Pushing past the ordeal, Gemma went on to travel the world, teach English in Cambodia and win Miss Australia Continents thanks to success in modelling and pageantry.
“To have my name called as the winner of Miss Australia Continents was a realisation of all my hard work and volunteering and that everything I love has all come together.”
Modelling and pageantry helped Gemma build her confidence.
(Instagram)Recently reflecting on her journey, Gemma shared a comparison between herself as a child and now, before admitting her dramatic weight loss has been a learning process.
“Funny enough the little girl on the left had no health issues and lived a normal childhood (I loved to dance! And still do). The me now knows an active balanced lifestyle is super important for optimum health,” she wrote in an Instagram post.
Despite being at the peak of her fitness, Gemma’s health took a turn for the worst.
“I have battled 2 autoimmune diseases (Crohn’s & Rheumatoid Arthritis) and have since been on a natural path of recovery and to get my body back in balance.
“I have had to knuckle down on my diet even more and whilst there has been a lot of change for me in the past couple of years I have learnt so much about myself and life in general.”
