A YOUNG Trowbridge woman who struggled with body confidence issues can barely believe that she will be compete in a national bikini, fitness and muscle model competition.

For many years Jemma Norris, of Paxcroft Mead, struggled with her confidence and image, to the extent where she wouldn’t wear a strappy top and covered herself up in hoodies.

However since she took up personal training two years ago, she has gone on to lose nearly three stone and now she runs her own company, Inspire2Train. To top it all off, on July 21 she will pose in a bikini in front of an audience and judges for the Pure Elite bikini, fitness and muscle model competition in Manchester’s Middleton Arena.

“I never thought I would ever do something like this. I guess I have come a long way,” said the 20-year-old.

“If someone said three years ago I would be standing in a bikini in front of people, I would have said you must be joking.”

She will be taking part in the Bikini Short category, after 13 weeks of fitness regimes and carefully watching her diet.

Jemma, who was inspired to enter the competition by her friends at Body Tech Gym in Bradford on Avon, trains 16 times a week and often starts her day at 5am to fit sessions around her work.

“The hardest thing is the nutrition guidelines that my coach in Essex tells me to follow,” said Jemma, who regularly monitors her weight and waistline improvements.

“Everything I eat must be weighed and it is very bland. My diet mostly consists of chicken, broccoli, eggs, cashew nuts and oats.

“Eighty per cent of my success comes from nutrition and just 20 per cent comes from training.”

Jemma is keen to spread the message to other girls that they should go for their dreams and not be ashamed of their body or looks.

If she qualifies for the next round she will gain a pro card and be able to represent Great Britain nationally.