A student left 'shy and awkward' after being bullied at school says bikini modelling has given her the confidence to be herself - and she now competes all over the world. Rheanna Cartier, 21, from Guildford in Surrey, was tormented by classmates during her teenage years but has had the last laugh after becoming a top international swimwear model. The criminal law student was left with low self-esteem as a result of the bullying - but says treading the catwalk in a bikini has completely transformed her confidence.
The real-life "Legally Blonde" now spends her days juggling a demanding law career alongside travelling the globe modelling in competitions. She has just returned to the UK from a Korean beauty pageant and now has her sights set on the Swimsuit USA event held in Mexico in October. Rheanna says her personality is now a far cry away from her school days where she was even forced to flee the country to escape the bullying.
She was subjected to name calling, physical violence and cyberbullying before her parents decided to move to Denmark when she was 14 to avoid the abuse. Rheanna, said: "I was always quite shy and awkward but bikini modelling has made me a lot more confident - even in day-to-day life. It really took me out of my shell.
I always find I feel more confident in a swimsuit, I'm not sure why." "I've competed in pageants before but I feel like I prefer swimsuit modelling now. Even the last one in Korea, it was a beauty competition, we had a swimsuit round and.
