Modelling isn’t something everyone can do, even if you are gorgeous.
In addition to a pleasing face and body one needs to have the personality able to deliver an image in front of a camera or on a runway — a certain “joie de vivre” as the French say.
Jeremy Brink, 23, grew up in Williams Lake and after a short career as a mill worker is now enjoying a modelling career and becoming a partner in a fitness business in Australia.
After graduating from Columneetza, Brink worked for a couple of years at West Fraser Sawmill as a millwright apprentice.
In November 2010 he quit his job and six days later flew to Australia to do some travelling. “On a whim pretty much,” Brink says.
He landed in Sidney where he was meeting five friends. They took off travelling around the country but Brink decided to stay in Sydney.
He had a year-long holiday work visa and did a few odd jobs in retail, eventually finding a permanent home with GNC (General Nutrition Centre) which has three stores in Sydney and was looking to open a fourth store.
He became a partner with one of the owners in the fourth store and to make some extra money for his investment he started modeling.
“A guy came into the store where I was working and offered me a job with Aussiebum,” Brink says.
Four days later he was modelling swim wear on live television and then did various photo shoots with the company.
With that encouragement he signed on with the Chadwick Agency which found him work in advertisements for Toyota, Mercedes Benz, Asics shoes, and some live runway work.
His agency also sends him on location shoots to international destinations such as Jakarta and the U.S.
“You just learn as you go,” Brink says.
This past November Brink got a four-year visa and business licence to stay in Australia where he lives on Bondi Beach, a 10-minute commute to the new store.
He’s living the Australian dream usually fitting in surfing three or four mornings a week before heading off to work.
Modelling also requires that he keep fit which he does by working out in the gym five days a week, surfing three or four mornings a week and soft-sand running in his bare feet on the beach.
“They clean the beach every night because people are running there every day,” Brink says. “I absolutely love it.”
He is also no stranger to fitness, having played rep hockey through high school in Williams Lake.
Brink was home this spring to visit his extended family but feels quite comfortable making his home in Australia.
“It’s fun and I’m meeting a lot of cool people,” Brink says. “There is always something going on, events and concerts, etc.”
He says he had a lawyer draw up the papers to get a business visa and in another year and a half he will be eligible to apply for permanent residency status in Australia.
But he will always be drawn home to the Cariboo for family and is planning his next trip home for Stampede 2013.
“It’s nice being a business owner and modeling definitely helps,” Brink says.