Maria says "I’ve been overweight my whole life but I’ve always been confident in who I am (inside and out). I love dressing for confidence and I found this empowered me when I’ve been size 26+ or 16. This includes being comfortable at the beach or by the pool. I have swum from a very young age, I love swimming and love being in the ocean despite my fear of sharks."
In late 2017 after some family health scares and realising that she was over 170kgs and participating on the sidelines of life rather than being the headline, she had gastric bypass surgery. Since then, she has lost 75kgs and is much more active in her life - going for walks, doing HIIT and strength classes at the gym, travelling and spending time with friends. She says "I’m still learning lots about myself, food I like and emotional eating habits and so I’ve started a Facebook page following my progress of weight loss called Making Maz https://m.facebook.com/makingmaz/
Thank you Maria for bringing your beautiful, positive self to the Crew and to all of the women that come across you, whether in person or on social media. You are such an inspiration!