Losing her husband to heart problems and raising a son with autism, Julie knew she had overcome too much heartache in her life to be worrying what she looked like in a bikini.
It's then that she decided to take a photo of herself in her bikini and post it on her facebook page to show women there was nothing to fear!
The photo quickly went viral, making headlines and reaching over 210,000 likes on facebook alone.
"I was happy it had touched so many people, but sad too," Julie reveals.
"Why should it be so shocking that someone without a perfect body would pose in a bikini. People started messaging me saying I was brave, but the whole point is that it should be an everyday occurrence."