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Most runway models have a body mass index of around 18 or 19, the low end of what's considered healthy. Reuters

Sophia Adams, a 21-year-old police trainee, won 2015’s Curvy Kate Star in a Bra contest earlier this week, beating 1,000 international contestants. The London-born Adams will be featured in the brand’s spring/summer 2016 catalog.

Curvy Kate, which is based in the United Kingdom, manufactures clothing for plus-size women and specializes in bras for customers with a D-cup or larger.

Adams will follow in the footsteps of plus-size models like size-24 Tess Munster and Ashley Graham, two women who have obtained lucrative modeling contracts that capitalize on their curves. In January, Munster, who owes part of her fame to her popular Instagram account, became the first model of her size and height to be signed to a major agency, Milk Model Management. Munster is 5 feet 5 inches tall, weighs 260 pounds and wears size 22.

In March, Adams made it into the Star in a Bra contest's top 10 finalists. She said she was in “total disbelief” when she found out she had won.

“I’m sure the next year will be lots of fun. I don’t have any modeling experience, so I’m not really sure what to expect, but the element of surprise makes it even more exciting for me,” Adams said following her victory. “The main thing I want to do is send out a positive message to all women that every shape and size is beautiful. We all have bits we like and bits we don’t like about our bodies, but embrace every inch of it!”

Last week, plus-size model Laura Wells spoke of the unhealthy practices that non-plus-size models are forced to endure, especially during events like fashion week. Wells claimed many of her model friends were encouraged to eat nothing but one cracker a day and drink plenty of water.

“It goes to the extremes," she said. "No food is being eaten. [There are] prescription diet pills, agents telling girls that they’re only allowed to have one cracker and a couple glasses of water a day in the lead-up to fashion week. It’s completely unhealthy, not only for their bodies but mentally.”