When I was a child I was always dancing. With a Caribbean upbringing, dance and music were very much a part of my upbringing. Dance was in my household and every year I'd go to Notting Hill Carnival and have the freedom to dance in the street.
I didn't just love dance, though. I was also a keen swimmer, footballer and badminton player, but when I was 12 I stopped all forms of exercise because I felt self-conscious in my body.
I was developing faster than my friends and I felt a lot of embarrassment and shame. I was hypersexualised when I was younger because I had curves and that added to my insecurities as well because I got a lot of unwanted attention.
I'd wear baggy clothes all the time because I didn't want anyone to see my silhouette and I had terrible body image issues.
I missed dancing and swimming, but I couldn't bear the thought of being in a swimsuit. Other people's perceptions of me made me feel like I couldn’t do what I loved and I didn't do any activities for around 13 years.
READ: How rejecting diet culture helped me regain my confidence
But when I was 25 I had a bereavement in the family. Grief does funny things to you and I realised life is short and I wanted to do the things that I love and that I enjoy. It gave me the push to stop delaying joy.
But when I started dancing again, I felt really conflicted. As a curvy black woman, I looked different to everyone in the dance classes I went to. There was no representation of anyone like me and I wasn't fully welcomed in.
I felt ostracised and I'd hide at the back of the dance class, shrinking myself. I was thinking, 'I'm the biggest girl in the class,' and even though I was doing the steps, I didn't want my body to move or jiggle.
I was met with so many backhanded compliments, with people saying, 'Oh my gosh, you can really dance for like a big girl.'
RELATED: Ballet first ruined then repaired my body confidence
My size was always added into it and although I really wanted to dance, I didn't like the environment. The fact that I never saw anyone full figured in the fitness space made me feel like I wasn't deserving to be there.
I felt 'I'm not welcome,' which naturally affected my confidence to even want to step into a gym.
My body-inclusive dance classes, The Curve Catwalk, were born out of frustration. I didn't sit down and have a business plan. I just wanted a space where I felt comfortable to dance and it didn't exist.
I went to so many classes trying to find somewhere I felt I fitted in, but in the end I created the space for myself. I invited some of my friends down and word of mouth got out and it made me realise this space was something curvy women really needed.
READ: How modelling made me realise I'm not 'less than' due to my disability
It wasn't just starting my hobby again that made me happy, though. It was the community that formed.
It felt great that I was giving these women the confidence to dance and feel good and in turn, they were making me feel confident and making me fall in love with dance again.
Having these like-minded women around me, who shared similar stories to me really boosted my confidence and it was just great that dance was the vehicle for that.
Finding happiness for me boiled down to representation. I didn't see anyone that looked like me at all. So that made me always question myself. But when I was in an environment with somebody else who has cellulite, I find more confidence to give it my all, to try and to show up for myself. It's important for me to be in a space where I don't feel judged.
MOST READ: 'How rock climbing finally helped me embrace my plus-sized body'
The Curve Catwalk is for everyone. We have younger members who are trying to find themselves and get comfortable in their bodies, and we have new mums who are trying to fall in love with their body again, or appreciate how it's changed.
Everyone is welcome because when it comes to body image issues or hang-ups about your body, it's not specific to a certain size. We have members who are because they too just want to be in a space where they can just feel free.
I even danced on stage with Lizzo at the Brits. Someone from her team saw my videos on Instagram, and just meeting her American dancers, I felt such a different energy. They were so confident and gave it their all, whereas in the UK we're a little more reserved.
Dancing with them gave me a confidence boost. All her dancers are plus size and being in a room with them so inspiring.
I also had to check my own thoughts because I too was viewing them as plus-size dancers when actually they're just dancers.
We need to get to a stage where we drop the labels. They're just as skilled and talented as any other dancer, and rather than thinking of them as plus-size dancers, I saw them for their athleticism and their skill in dance and it was not about their size.
I also work as an ambassador for Nike, and I hope that seeing that representation has an impact on people.
I didn't grow up seeing anyone like me, and I know how much that affected my confidence, so I hope people seeing me model for Nike and dance on stage with Lizzo will validate their experience.
See more from Trina Nicole here and find out more about The Curve Catwalk.
