Sydney, AUSTRALIA — A Samoan has won the inaugural Miss South Pacific Plus crown in Sydney, Australia.

Thelma Fetu 29, from Christchurch and now residing in Sydney Australia has been crowned the first Miss South Pacific Plus.

The unique competition which was held in Sydney on Saturday night to celebrate ‘Plus-Size’ Pacific women and is the first of its kind in the region.

Ms Fetu, whose parents hail from the villages of Satapuala, Safato’a Lefaga and Leulomoeaga Tuai, said she always struggled with body image whilst growing up.  

But as she became more confident in her life, her friends suggested she enter the competition, when the search for contestants was advertised earlier this year. 

“I’ve seen how popular the Plus-Size pageants are in America so I’ve been waiting for it to come here. I entered because I want to be an example for the younger ones. 

Many of the bigger girls, especially us Pacific girls are afraid to show our skin and so we cover up sometimes. Even if I didn’t win, I just wanted to set an example to younger girls that they should love their bodies,” she said.

Director of the new pageant, Victoria Malaga, said she wanted to create a platform for fuller-figured Pacific women who have long felt left out of the traditional pageant scene. And when she put the call out for pageant participants, she received a large response.