Hard work, perseverance, and grit lead to success—and don’t let anyone else tell you otherwise! That’s one of the lessons that Jen Atkin, the winner of Miss Great Britain 2020, wants the world to know.

Being crowned Miss Great Britain required huge amounts of willpower and effort. To reach this incredible goal, Jen made healthy living her Guiding Star. She completely overhauled her diet, said ‘goodbye’ to a sedentary lifestyle, and lost over 100 pounds in weight.

“I got to a size 22 and my favorite dress didn’t fit anymore and I knew I had to change!” 26-year-old Jen told Bored Panda about the moment that she knew she had no other choice but to change. “It felt incredible winning Miss Great Britain, I never expected it at all.”

“A few years ago, if someone had told me I’d be Miss Great Britain I’d have never believed it!” Scroll down for the rest of our interview with Jen.

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Jen Atkin started exercising and eating well a few years ago

Image credits: jenatkinuk

She lost over 100 pounds in 2 years of disciplined living

Image credits: jenatkinuk

Jen decided enough was enough when she couldn’t fit into her favorite dress and got dumped by her ex-fiance

Image credits: jenatkinuk

Image credits: jenatkinuk

Jen goes to the gym 5 times a week now

Image credits: jenatkinuk

Jen told us that the difference between her lifestyle a few years ago and now was like night and day. “I eat so much better, I don’t follow a diet but I think about what I eat so much more. I still enjoy meals out but don’t binge like I used to! I go to the gym 5 times a week now and I love it, it’s become a staple part of my life and has helped me in so many ways.”

She’s very active and is constantly on the move

Image credits: jenatkinuk

All of her hard work paid off

Image credits: jenatkinuk

She’s living proof that perseverance, willpower, and discipline lead to success

Image credits: jenatkinuk

It took her 2 years to go from weighing around 240 pounds to around 125 pounds (that’s about 50 kilograms!). But what do we do if we’d love to follow in Jen’s footsteps but we find ourselves without energy or motivation? Well, Jen told us that it’s all about consistency and small steps.

“My biggest advice would be to take every day as it comes. Imagine where you could be in 3 months time and just keep chipping away! Consistency is key and it’s a lifestyle change!” the aviation administrator from Ulceby told Bored Panda. Now that’s some realistic motivation right there.

Image credits: jenatkinuk

Something else that motivated Jen to change herself was being dumped by her ex-fiance because of her weight. This led to a personal crisis and an opportunity to forge a better, faster, stronger future for herself. As it turns out, it was the start of a hard but fulfilling journey.

Jen was named Miss Scunthorpe and became the runner-up for the title of Miss England in 2018. She then took a break from competing in pageants to get married. It’s a story that makes you believe that “happily ever after” isn’t just a fairytale ending.

Image credits: jenatkinuk

Image credits: jenatkinuk

Jen radically changed her life and the effects are obvious to everyone

Image credits: jenatkinuk

She greatly improved the quality of her life

Image credits: jenatkinuk

Image credits: jenatkinuk

The Miss Great Britain contest isn’t just about pageantry, though. The women who participate show real entrepreneurial spirit and work hard to support charities. For example, this year, this event supported the organization Cancer Research UK and Alex’s Wish (which helps treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy), and raised more than 42k pounds for these worthwhile causes.

Image credits: jenatkinuk

Image credits: jenatkinuk

Image credits: jenatkinuk

However, Jen still lets herself eat a tiny bit of junk food every now and then

Image credits: jenatkinuk

Image credits: jenatkinuk

Eventually, she got married and took a break from competing in pageants

Image credits: jenatkinuk

She was runner-up Miss England in 2018

Image credits: jenatkinuk

Image credits: jenatkinuk

Image credits: jenatkinuk

Image credits: jenatkinuk

Jen was over the Moon that she won the Miss Great Britain 2020 crown!

Image credits: jenatkinuk

Image credits: jenatkinuk

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