Tess Holliday cried when she saw her People cover

LOS ANGELES, May 22 (UPI) -- Tess Holliday was moved to tears when she first saw her People magazine cover.

The 29-year-old model revealed as much in an interview Thursday on the Today show. Holliday is the first size 22 model to be signed to a major agency, and covers the publication's new Bodies Issue.

"It's crazy," she confessed. "I've been reading it since I was a kid so to be on the cover is surreal ... I cried [when I saw it] ... I wanted [modeling] to happen for a long time, but I really never thought it would. This was definitely a wildest dreams moment for me."

"I think for me it's all about accepting yourself the way you are now and loving the way you are today," she said of her message to fans. "If you want to work toward a better you in whatever regard, by all means do it, but you're okay just the way you are today."

Holliday was signed to London-based agency MiLK Model Management in January. She has posed for such brands as Domino Dollhouse, SWAK and Jessica Louise Clothing, in addition to Benefit Cosmetics and Vogue Italia.