Winnipegger to model on international stage

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This article was published 21/08/2013 (4479 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Andrea Smith turned her life upside down in 2009 from party girl to bikini model to business owner.

“I used to be a big party girl when I was 17, 18, 19. I think I was 21 when I decided to get my life together,” said Smith.

Smith said it was almost overnight that she decided to become a bikini model after reading Oxygen, a women’s fitness magazine, in Victoria, B.C. and then meeting a fitness model later on.

“Right away I thought ‘oh right there, this is it,’” said Smith.

Today, Smith is preparing for the World Beauty Fitness & Fashion (WBFF) worlds in Las Vegas, Nev., which will run Aug. 23 to 24.

To achieve her success Smith not only had to change her lifestyle, she had to lose some negative people in her life.

“I have maybe three friends now that I have had since high school,” said Smith. “The whole crew that we had when I was 19 and 20, we don’t have the same interests anymore.”

Smith immediately starting eating healthier and hitting the gym.

“It is my life now,” said Smith. “There is no in-between.”

From there she entered competitions, and has become a WBFF pro competitor. She’s also sponsored by supplement company PhD.  

Before wanting to be a bikini model, Smith wanted to be a doctor.

After graduating from St. Mary’s Academy in 2006, she took sciences in university and volunteered in a hospital. But, she decided being a doctor was no longer her dream

“It wasn’t what I wanted, it wasn’t what I thought it would be,” said Smith. “I love doctors and I love the whole medicine field but I wanted to do preventative medicine as opposed to ‘Here’s some pills for your high blood pressure. Don’t change your lifestyle, but here are some pills.’ I totally disagree with that.”

Smith now owns and operates Get Ready Girls in Waverley Heights and trains women all over the world online.

 “It’s a women’s fitness program,” said Smith. “We focus on educating women on health, nutrition and getting them to their goal.”

Smith’s clients range from those starting to change their lives to professional models.

Smith is making another big change in her life. She will be moving to Belfast, Ireland to study naturopathy at the College of Naturopathic Medicine.

Smith’s advice for anyone deciding if they want to become a bikini model is to first be happy with their healthy weight. She said ‘stage weight’ is usually 10 to 15 pounds lighter than someone should be, and therefore isn’t healthy.

“First, get in good shape,” said Smith. “Then learn who you are as a healthy person before you decide to compete.”