For one Swedish Instagram model, her long legs -which have since propelled her modelling career – were once the cause of bullying.

Ia Ostergren is a mum of two whose legs measure an astounding 40 inches. While she has learned to embrace her limbs, it hasn’t always been easy.

Teased about her gangly physique, Ostergren spent her teens and early 20s depressed about her body type. In 2013, she decided to take up sports, and it was then that she started to love her body, regardless of what others had to say.

With the average female inseam measuring about 33 inches, the 34-year-old’s proportions are unique.

Standing at 5′10″, not particularly tall for a model, it’s her 40-inch inseam that makes her stand out. The sporty model is particularly popular in Russia – a fact she uses to her advantage, regularly posting photo captions in Russian. Ostergren, who is married to a Swedish bodybuilder, says she works on her physique regularly, going to the gym and eating nearly five pounds of meat a week to maintain her muscle.

Ostergren met her husband on Instagram, the same platform she used to start her modeling career, and the pair now have two daughters.

Her Instagram feed is peppered with lifestyle and gym photos showing off her Barbie-like physique, and, with 145,000 followers, it’s clear to see she’s tapped into a loyal following with the assets that once were the cause of her depression.

Ostergren is open about sharing her new approach to life — especially when it comes to accepting her body.

“You have one life. How do you want to spend it? Apologizing for being yourself? Regretting? Hating? Be brave. Believe in yourself and put your best foot forward. You have this one life. Enjoy it,” she wrote in an Instagram post.

Source: yahoo