Sherri Shepherd advised her fans to walk toward their fears instead of run away from them when she shared behind-the-scenes footage of a photo shoot in the Caribbean this week.
The former “View” host was tapped to model swimwear for the brand Swimsuits For All, alongside Ashley Graham and others.
Shepherd revealed that she lost 25 pounds before the shoot and did so after promising her son to get more healthy. She also said modeling swimsuits is something that’s way out of her comfort zone, but it didn’t take long for the nerves to subside.
“Never thought when I made the commitment to my son Jeffrey to get my health together and get off #sugar that an opportunity of posing for @swimsuitsforall would happen,” wrote Shepherd this week. “From the moment I got on the #beach @supermodelemme, @ashleygraham & @taralynn hugged me and made me feel like a #supermodel.”
“This #photo shoot was truly a dream come true,” she continued. “And to you ladies over 40, please remember nothing is impossible if you focus and commit to the work. God has not forgotten you. He sees those desires and dreams you have hidden deep in your #heart . I hope my #journey inspires you to commit to your health and face those #fears.”
The photos, which were taken in Anguilla, shows Shepherd sporting a black one-piece swimsuit with a plunging neckline and cutout midriff, something the 51-year-old thought she’d never do. In fact, Shepherd explained that she goes out of her way to hide portions of her body, so doing the shoot was an incredible feat.
“This was a particularly scary move for me,” she explained. “I artfully disguise everything on my body I don’t want seen. But I said yes to being in a swimsuit because I wanted to encourage you to run towards the very things you #fear because there are amazing #blessings on the other side.”
Shepherd’s desire to inspire others seemed to work, because a lot of folks expressed how they were really encouraged.
“So happy and proud of you,” one woman wrote. “You killed this photo shoot. You are an inspiration. Girl, you look beautiful.”
