Supermodel Candice Swanepoel is one of the best known Victoria's Secret angels.
The mother of two is set to walk in the 2018 Victoria’s Secret Fashion show in New York City today, just five months after giving birth.
On Tuesday, Swanepoel shared what it means to be getting in shape for this year’s show, which will mark her 11th time walking for the brand.
"I'm so excited to feel strong again after having my two babies. It's definitely a process feeling "normal" again," she shared on her Instagram story. "Our bodies become a vessel and it's a mind-blowing process making a human being."
"I'm far from perfect and every mother should give themselves time to recover and not have to focus on what they look like," she continued. "It's about how you FEEL that is important. You are important."
She also shared that mothers often forget to put themselves first.
"A lot of the time we feel guilty to go do things we used to, we forget to look after ourselves sometimes. Great thing it’s my job to look presentable, or I would probably not look in the mirror," she added.
The model has worked with Victoria’s Secret since 2010 and said she is grateful for the opportunities her time with the global brand has afforded her.
"I can't tell you how proud I am of my body and what it has given me, an amazing career and my two boys," she wrote.
In July, the model received hateful comments from body shamers after she was spotted in a bikini 12 days after giving birth. She immediately shut the trolls down in an Instagram story.
Alongside a photo of herself the beach, she wrote, “This is me 12 days after having my son. If you have something bad to say about it...check yourself.”
"Society can be so cruel to one another. Beauty standards are sometimes impossible for women these days," Swanepoel added. "I’m not ashamed to show my postpartum tummy. I am proud actually. I carried my son for nine months in there. I think I’ve earned the right to have a little tummy."
She said she’s dedicating her performance this year to all of the mothers in the world.
- 1
- 2
- 3
"Now, I'm ready to put myself out there again and this time doing it for all the mamas out there working and taking care of their babies because we deserve to feel beautiful and powerful and sexy!" she wrote in a post.
Fellow supermodel Behati Prinsloo, who is married to singer Adam Levine, also remarked on her journey to the runway after her second child.
"After two babies back to back, doing the @victoriassecret show felt like a distant dream," she wrote alongside a selfie showing off her abs.
"I’m so proud to be back and proud of my body and what it can do, feeling stronger and healthier than ever with two beautiful baby girls. #girlpower."
On the day of the show, Prinsloo told her 5.4 million followers that she is "nervous and more grateful for all of it then ever."
You can watch The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show Dec. 2 at 10 p.m. ET on ABC.