This Leeds woman is entering Miss Swimsuit UK to raise awareness of her incurable condition

Annabel Smith, 27, entered the competition to try and raise awareness of an incurable condition she has, called EDS (Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome), which sees her dislocate her shoulder around 100 times per year.

She spent her childhood in a sling, in and out of hospital and told not to do any form of exercise as even carrying a handbag would be too much weight for her body to handle.

But over the years of physio, operations and rehabilitation she has adapted to live with the condition and now passes on her fitness and nutrition expertise to other people and is using the competition to inspire other women to become empowered and body confident.

Ms Smith of Hyde Park, Leeds said: "Several years on, although I am not cured and I have constant pain I am 100 per cent a different person to who I was and ever thought I could become.

"I also want to raise awareness of my condition as I feel it is still such an unknown condition so many people are suffering with in silence, and help them with my personal experiences. I had the option to give up and let this condition take over my life but I decided to fight against it and to compete in a competition which is all about empowering women and being confident in your own body and if my story helps just one person who is also suffering then I have achieved what I wanted to do."

The regional semi-finals are being held in Manchester tomorrow and the final will be held in May.