With over 27 finalists and 2,500 entries from women around Australian, South African Born, now Sydney based aspiring model, and Faces of Seafolly winner Lara Schroeder was a stand out from the beginning and is someone who Seafolly believes is beyond a model and personifies the Seafolly spirit perfectly. With Lara’s inspiring and motivating words Seafolly was naturally drawn to her, embracing her natural beauty, living an active and healthy lifestyle and flaunting her flaws – she is the perfect brand advocate for Seafolly.
In Lara’s words a Face of Seafolly “Embraces her own natural beauty, she has a healthy mind and body, and she encourages others to be just that. She’s comfortable in her own skin, she lives a healthy and active lifestyle whilst not being afraid to treat herself and uses every single opportunity to motivate, inspire and encourage others to be and to love who they are.”
Q: What made you enter to #FOS competition?
A: From the moment I read what the Seafolly Spirit is and represented, I felt I was destined to enter the FOS competition. I have always used my Instagram platform to spread inspiring and motivating messages that encourage people to embrace their natural beauty, to love and accept others, to be active and real, to not give up on their dreams and just enjoy life. Learning about what the Seafolly Spirit is, I felt as though I have always been a Seafolly Girl at heart.
Q: What did the competition mean to you?
A: Of course any one would love the idea of starring in their own campaign and potentially gaining a very large amount of followers on social media. I too had stars in my eyes whilst thinking about my very own Seafolly
photoshoot but what really resonated with me was being able to spread my positive messages to more people around the world. I don’t see followers as just a number on my social media account, I see every new follower as a new person that I can inspire and motivate whilst I am chasing my own dreams.
Q: How did you feel winning the #FOS competition?
A: I honestly couldn’t believe it, I still can’t! I expected a girl who resembles your typical “beach babe” with tanned skin and blonde hair to win; it’s the reason why I feel like I have had difficulty breaking into the modelling industry in Australia. So when a girl with fair skin and dark hair won the FOS competition, I felt more compelled to celebrate! Not only does it show that Seafolly is accepting of all girls but it proves that hard work and perseverance pays off. Definitely an unforgettable moment and one to be proud of.
Q: How do you feel when you’re wearing Seafolly?
A: Seafolly offers such wide range of swimwear that it will be difficult not to find something that doesn’t fit your body shape perfectly. Because of this I can throw away all of my insecurities, worries and doubt out the window. What’s left is a girl who is confident, flaunts her flaws and she’s happy and comfortable in her own skin.
Q: Tell us a little bit about your upbringing and how it has shaped the person you are today?
A: I was born in Pietersburg, a small town in South Africa and I moved to Australia 6 days after my 16th birthday. Growing up in South Africa was a VERY different to life in Australia. At a young age you are quickly exposed to an extremely competitive environment at school, both academically and in sport; in Australia sport is considered as an extracurricular whereas in South Africa it’s considered just as important as math or English. Unfortunately due to the competitive environment at school, cliques amongst the students are formed. I was part of the school’s netball, athletics and cricket team and I was an academically strong student, yet I was never part of any of the popular cliques. Naturally I challenged the culture, I stood up for people being bullied and I befriended those without friends or considered as outcasts. Fast forward to my first day in Australia where I immediately felt accepted, I quickly adopted the laidback Aussie lifestyle and I experienced freedom for the first time. All of this only scratches the surface of my story but the above definitely played an important part in shaping who I am today.
Q: Why is it important to you to stay healthy and active?
A: First I’d like to say that everyone’s definition of healthy and active will be different. Personally I eat big, well-balanced meals while treating myself often, as well as staying active by running and doing 30min workouts on alternating days. By living this lifestyle I feel my body, mind and soul thanks me for it. Staying healthy and fit is absolutely crucial to being happy on a daily basis and feeling good about yourself at the same time – that to me is why this is so important.
Q: What does confidence mean to you?
A: Confidence = Loving your strengths and flaws equally! I truly believe that our differences are what makes us unique. Seafolly welcomes Lara to the Seafolly family of iconic faces and looks forward to launching 2019’s competition early November.
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