By the time she was two, she was already gaining weight quickly. Doctors checked her, adults whispered, and from as early as kindergarten she remembers one thing clearly: the bullying never seemed to stop. Kids pointed, laughed, and used her body as a punchline.

As she grew older, the comments only got harsher. Amalie put on more weight and the bullying escalated.
She began to self-harm and avoided mirrors because she hated what she saw looking back at her. Clothes shopping, something most girls her age enjoyed, became torture.While other children picked out fun, colorful outfits, Amalie was sent to the women’s section because nothing in the kids’ department fit her. It made her feel like she didn’t belong anywhere.

She rarely saw anyone who looked like her in books, movies, or magazines. And when bigger bodies did appear, they were often the joke, the sidekick, or the “before” picture. It reinforced the idea that people like her were never meant to be the main character.