Candice Swanepoel, South African Super Model, Humble Upbringing, Global Activist

With glamour girls that are stunning, superbly beautiful, who travel the globe soaking in the world’s adoration, it’s as though we think we know their story.

The storyline is typically that they live a fantastic life that we can only dream of.

Perhaps in most cases that is true but not always.

Often it takes a little work and some more digging but every beautiful woman more than likely has a unique story to tell.

Candice Susan Swanepoel is a South African supermodel, best known for her work with Victoria’s Secret. In 2012, she came in 10th on the Forbes top-earning models list.

**fciwomenswrestling.com article, victoriasecret.com photo credit**

Candice has appeared on the covers of Australian, Brazilian, Mexican, Korean, Hellenic, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese and Italian Vogue, Brazilian, British, German and South African Elle, British, South African, Romanian, Mexican and Chinese GQ, Turkish, Spanish, Czech and Argentine Harper’s Bazaar, i-D, Lush and Ocean Drive (U.S.).

Our beauty has walked the runway for Fendi, Chanel, Tommy Hilfiger, Dolce and Gabbana, , Donna Karan, Giambattista Valli, Jason Wu, Prabal Gurung, Rag & Bone, Oscar de la Renta, Elie Saab, Diane von Fürstenberg, Sportmax, Betsey Johnson, Stella McCartney, Viktor and Rolf, Givenchy, Jean Paul Gaultier, Christian Dior, Blumarine, and Ralph Lauren.

She has also appeared in advertising campaigns for Tom Ford, Oscar De La Renta, Givenchy, Miu Miu, Tommy Hilfiger, Rag & Bone, Ralph Lauren, Shiatzy Chen, , Blumarine, Versace, Prabal Gurung, Diesel, Guess?, Swarovski, Agua Bendita, Colcci, True Religion, Nike, Juicy Couture,^[1] as well as for Victoria’s Secret since 2007.

That seems like the story of a super star model but with Candice when you look into her past, we found that it was filled with surprises and was not remotely what we thought it would be.

We travel the globe too, only electronically.

It’s time to visit Candice’s past.

**fciwomenswrestling.com article, By Roger O’Neill – Own work, photo credit**

At her site candiceswanepoel.com, she openly expresses, “I was born in a little South African village called Mooi River, where I grew up on a dairy and beef farm. I spent my childhood surrounded by life, love, nature and family. As a little girl I always knew I wanted to do something different, something my family and I could be proud of one day.

I had a passion for beauty and fashion from a very young age, so I was thrilled when a talent scout in a flea market spotted me at age 15. At the time, I was at St. Anne’s College, an all-girls boarding school where I embraced new friends and the potential of a great education.

My world was about to change drastically in a way I could never have imagined. Within a year of meeting the scout, at age 16, I was booking more and more modeling jobs all across Europe. While this was an incredible blessing for someone from such a sheltered upbringing, it also forced me to make tough decisions about my life at a young age.

After two years of traveling between Paris, Milan, London and South Africa, I took a leap of faith and moved to New York City to model full-time. Separated from everything familiar, I relied on my drive and ambition as I lived on my own overseas. I gave up a normal teenage life with my family and friends to pursue a dream, but what I have gotten in return is simply incredible.

After moving to the Big Apple, it wasn’t long before Victoria’s Secret found me and took me under their great big feathery wings. With their family of models, stylists, designers and artists, I’ve continued to grow and learn each day. Becoming a Victoria’s Secret Angel allowed me the opportunity to see a completely different side of the modeling world. Not only do I wear their beautiful products, but I am given a voice and encouraged to become a part of the company.

After starting my career from literally nothing, I will always be thankful to the people who gave me a chance. I credit the success I’ve been blessed with to everyone who saw something special in me and helped me along the way. Most days I still wake up feeling like the 15-year-old girl from a South African farm town, simply overwhelmed with gratitude for the journey I am on. I could not have become the person I am without the values instilled in me by my loyal and ever-loving parents.

Despite the high-profile life I lead, I’m still happiest and most comfortable hiding away on a beach with a good pair of sunglasses, soft sand and some Reggae music. I love exploring exercise and nutrition, finding new ways to keep my body in top shape.”

Very impressive. A rise from humble beginnings to super stardom.

Where Candice’s story departs from many who have found beauty and fame is that it involves the welfare of others less fortunate.

How many super models do you remember from even just a few years ago?

What keeps their story fresh is if they truly are helping others.

Like fellow model Christy Turlington, Candice is actively involved in Mother2Mother, a charity devoted to achieving an “HIV-free generation” of children and mothers in Africa.

She has even designed denims for the cause.

A visit to m2m.org expands Candice’s story. “While tremendous progress has been made over the last decade to eliminate pediatric AIDS, more than 400 babies are still infected with HIV globally each day. About 75% of these children live in sub-Saharan Africa, and most acquire HIV from their mothers during pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding.

Effective and inexpensive medical interventions are available that can keep mothers and babies healthy. Without these interventions, up to 40% of infants born to HIV-positive mothers will contract the virus. With treatment, that number can be reduced to 2%.

We train, employ, and empower local mothers living with HIV, called Mentor Mothers, as frontline healthcare workers in understaffed health centers and within communities. In one-on-one and group sessions, Mentor Mothers provide essential health education and support to women on how they can protect their babies from HIV infection, and keep themselves and their families healthy. Mentor Mothers’ intimate understanding of the social and cultural challenges of living with HIV gives them a unique ability to form trusted relationships with other women, vital to helping them overcome their fears and make lifesaving decisions.”

So please admit it. When you took one look at Candice, yes she took your breath away but did you suspect the depth and breathe of her story?

Our feeling is that we are going to hear so much more about Candice Swanepoel.