Pinning a purple flower into her bleach blonde hair, pretty Ava admired herself in the mirror. She had every reason to be proud. In the space of a year, she had lost an incredible 17 stone. Her weight dropped from 37st 1lbs to 19st 7lbs, and she slipped into a dress before gazing at her newly svelte figure. With her smokey eye makeup and black skater dress, she could have been glamming up for a night on the tiles with her girlfriends. Instead, it was Halloween, 2013, and Ava was hiding a huge secret. Born a boy named William, it was the first time she had ever dressed as a girl – and everything fell into place.
WITH A STERN look of determination on their faces, these adorable pooches perfect their doggy paddle as they dive head first into a swimming pool .
SAILING peacefully across a river in the early morning light, a fisherman in China keeps a 1000 year old tradition alive .
Sprawled out on top of a log, this sleeping leopard takes a relaxing break from his daily routine .
A little caterpillar fearlessly scampers down a branch and confronts a praying mantis .
Gabrielle Dale, 26, was subjected to seven years of coercive control and physical abuse at the hands of her violent boyfriend Sean Owen, 29 .
PILES of trash provide a living for thousands in Nairobi, Kenya .
Meet the real-life Little Bo Peep - a young woman who spends her days tending to her four pet SHEEP .
A mum-of-three lost half of her body weight after her daughter was teased by playground bullies for having a 'fat mum' .
As sunlight cascades through its vibrant stained glass windows, every inch of the Nasir-ol-Mulk Mosque bursts with colour .
An obese woman has lost 9st after an addiction to junk food left her £1 .
UNDERWATER and above-water seaside shots show the best of British beach-life .
THROWING himself off 1,100ft bridges in a wheelchair, this is the PARALYSED base jumper who knows no fear .