Why Georgina Burke was 'fighting back tears' as this photo was snapped in front of thousands of strangers

Tourists gawked as Georgina Burke arranged herself in the middle of Times Square, New York.

An estimated 330,000 people pass through the iconic patch of Manhattan every single day and all eyes were on the Brisbane-born blonde.

Viciously bullied for her size as a child and laughed out of modelling castings as a young woman, Burke is no stranger to being stared at, but this was different.

READ MORE: Palace insiders reveal why Harry will never return to his old life

"I was fighting back tears," she tells 9honey. 

Then she lifted the $750,000 item in her hand and the cameras started flashing.

Because strangers weren't just staring at her, they were staring at the Lexus Melbourne Cup Trophy held aloft in her delicate, white-gloved hand.

It was surreal for the 34-year-old, who grew up overweight and preferred horseback riding to stepping out in front of a crowd full of strangers.

After getting her start in modelling at 17, Burke struggled for years to find her stride in an industry that told her she was both "too big" and "too small".

The Australian market was built on the bodies of size eight women and had no place for Burke, while interested parties in the US urged her to down wine and fill up on carbs if she wanted to get booked as a 'plus-size' model (a term which has since faced criticism).

Being in that space in-between made it harder for Burke to book jobs at first, but changing her body just to suit a casting call felt antithetical to all she stood for.

Even when she felt the looks on set. Even when she heard the whispers.

"I'm happy to say that I'm Australian size 16. It's not embarrassing, it's a number," Burke says.

"But you've got to work that much harder. I can't just walk into a press room and take a dress off the rack."

At the start of her career, it was a serious roadblock. Now, it's the reason brands like Carla Zampatti want to create custom pieces just for her body.

The fashion industry has made great strides in the body positivity space over the last few years due, in large part, to the work of women like Burke who refuse to fit the mold and embrace their bodies as they are.

But that sometimes means having to deal with invasive questions about your body looking bigger – or, recently for Burke, smaller.

In February this year, Burke shared publicly that she had been diagnosed with Crohn's disease after being misdiagnosed for almost "half my life".

READ MORE: Princess Sofia of Sweden pregnant with fourth child

The incurable condition can cause sudden weight fluctuations, but beauty has never been a numbers game for the 34-year-old, nor has health.

Since being diagnosed, she's found treatment that helps her manage the disease, but is sick of people asking if she's lost or gained weight.

"You never know what's going on behind closed doors," Burke says.

"It's personal to me, but I thought I needed to share it, because … there's so many people suffering with something internally."

But that's not an invitation to comment on her size or health.

After all, people aren't defined by the number on a tag inside their waistband, and health and beauty are so much more than the way a person looks.

"I'm just really trying to take care of my health and be mentally and physically the best that I can be, and that's what's most important," Burke adds.

That's the attitude she brings to every job she books, whether it's posing in the surf for the pages of Sports Illustrated, or modelling for the Melbourne Cup Carnival two years running.

The photos she snapped in New York were used to announce the opening of this year's Fashions on the Field (FOTF) competition, which boasts a record-breaking prize pool valued at more than $370,000.

READ MORE: Sweet moment Paralympian proposes to coach when crossing finish line

Last year Burke was on the panel of judges and got to see all the hard work she's done for body positivity reflected in what she called a really diverse cast of entrants.

"That's what's really exciting, that anybody can enter. And obviously it's a worldwide competition now, so that really opens the doors," she says.

As for the ensembles we can expect to see this year, Burke predicts Barbie pink will be out ("I'm really happy to see the back of that," she admits) and big hats, bright colours, and unique silhouettes will be in.

Her advice for Aussies already planning their race day outfits is to embrace standing out, invest in good undergarments, and look for pieces with beautiful tailoring.

"The way it fits on the body is the most important thing," she says.

"It comes down to confidence as well. You can't let the outfit wear you."

For more information and to enter Fashions on the Field, click here.

FOLLOW US ON WHATSAPP HERE: Stay across all the latest in celebrity, lifestyle and opinion via our WhatsApp channel. No comments, no algorithm and nobody can see your private details.