How does a 16-year-old boy from Wyndham Vale who dreams of joining the medical field to work as a paramedic find himself preparing to compete in the finals for Next Top Model Australia?
Cooper Goldsworthy will tell you to ask his mum and dad.
“My parents saw a poster that was advertising a competition at Werribee Plaza and my parents were just like ‘alright, let’s put Cooper in and see if it works’,” Cooper said.
“It seems to have been working out so far.”
Cooper said he was initially very hesitant, but ultimately realised there was no harm in trying.
“What got me through it is knowing that there’s not really any loss, like there’s either a win, or no loss,” he said.
The teen expected the modeling world to be a “if you don’t get it right, you’ll get in trouble kind of environment” but says he found something else instead.
“[I] actually stepped into a way more positive environment, it was a really good environment because everyone was so supportive and passionate about what they did,” Cooper said.
Top Model Australia partnered with the Bully Zero campaign, and all contestants are put through a program to be Bully Zero ambassadors.
“I’ve been bullied myself, I feel like it’s best to be able to provide support,” Cooper said.
“Because some of the kinds of services out there aren’t the best and I feel like there needs to be a lot more time and focus on bullying.”
The finals will be held in July and Cooper says he’ll be “ecstatic” if he wins.
“Obviously chances are that I don’t win…if i do end up making it…i’d be really happy to,” he said.
Fatima Halloum
