Asha Galloway has been crowned the winner in the “Miss Big and Beautiful” pageant aimed at helping the Island’s curvy women feel comfortable in their own skin.The 21-year-old admits she entered the competition to feel better about the way she looked. Instead she gained a whole new perspective on beauty.Speaking to The Royal Gazette yesterday, she said: “Beauty means being confident in any outfit. It means being sure of yourself and it also means displaying a certain attitude about you, an aura about you, that says I know who I am.”The beauty competition, currently in its sixth year, has been helping plus sized women by instilling in them a greater sense of self-confidence and self-esteem.Contestant Jeannine Smith, 27, believes there needs to be more acceptance for women of different sizes and shapes on the Island.“There is not enough support for bigger women in Bermuda. Everyone looks at you like you are unhealthy or not as worthy as someone who is more thin than you.”Such judgment can feel “hurtful” or “crushing”, she said, adding that more and more resources are now available online that prove big is beautiful.The pageant took place on Sunday night at the Fairmont Southampton.Eleven contestants prepared for six weeks for the event, including Eugenia Robinson, who took home the award for ‘Miss Sweet Charity’ and ‘Best Personal Style’.Ms Robinson, a volunteer with Government’s Mirrors programme and Delta Sigma Theta sorority, said the competition was a “new learning experience” and reminded her to do her best to represent Bermuda at all times.Headilene Stephenson, 35, won the awards for Miss Congeniality and Miss Photogenic.As a past contestant of the fitness programme ‘The 100 Day Challenge’ she said: “I didn’t want it to seem like a contradiction, like at first I was trying to lose weight, now I am appreciating it.“But I realised this is who I am and I am appreciating myself for where I am at this time, while I am on my journey to a healthier lifestyle.”Winner Ms Galloway, an art teacher with Sandys Community Centre said, before the pageant she felt undeserving of success and being treated well.The competition, set up by director Terry Smith, taught her to “come out of her shell” and “keep moving forward”. She advised other young women to “never be afraid of who God made you to be”.“Each person has a unique set of skills, talents and abilities and they need to be shown. Do not be afraid to be yourself because at the end of the day you can’t be anyone else and it doesn’t make sense to be fake.”