Amanda Aura is an up and coming model who lost her dream with a career as a gymnast when she was involved in an accident at a young age. Despite that, she turned her mind to modeling and has worked hard to get what she has now. She tells us all about her loves in life, and her experiences as a model.
So Amanda Aura is not your real name. What is? How did you come up with your alias?
My first name is Amanda, so that stayed the same. I have always loved names where the first and last names start with the same letter, double letters you know, like Brooke Banks.
I kept my first name because everyone knows me as Amanda, and it just would have been too crazy to change that. I wanted to change my last name so that I couldn’t be found by stalkers or other crazy people.
How did you get into modeling? And at what age?
I started at a car show, DTP 07 (Driven To Perform). I was supposed to work for a Toronto company that was going to DTP, but in the end they canceled. I still wanted to work though so I decided to find work for myself and eventually found a magazine. I was 17 when this all happened and it was a car magazine.
What is your typical week like?
I box 5 days a week and work 1 day a week, or even once every two weeks. I love boxing; it obviously keeps me fit but I absolutely love it. My coach is great, he is very motivational and that’s great for me because it’s so much easier to have someone else push me, otherwise I won’t do it myself.
I work for a party planning company as well as model, so when I say I work once a week, I mean I deal poker or do promo work. I do stuff like bachelorette parties, go-go dancing, or anything that needs a pretty girl.
If I’m not boxing my days aren’t that exciting. I’ll do just about everything and anything, I’m really easy to please; really anything! From coffee and Baileys to taking walks, I do a lot of lunches, and get to see all my friends. I usually sleep in until about 12 or 1 everyday just because I can.
What drives you to do what you do?
I don’t know what else to do! I know that sounds bad, but I don’t know what path to take to get where I want to be. There are many things I want to do. I could teach English or I would love to be a vet, and I want to go to school, but I don’t know what I want to take, and that just wont work. I’m the type of person that if I don’t love what I am doing then I will drop it in a second.
Modeling allows me to travel and see other places that I would otherwise not be able to experience. For example, I have been to Jamaica, Mexico, and Vegas, which I would never have been able to visit if it wasn’t for modeling. So the traveling on trips that are all paid for is defiantly a nice perk of being a model.
What could you do everyday of the week if you weren’t doing what you do?
I would go to school, but doing what, though, I have no idea! And if I wasn’t at school, I would be working, ideally as a bartender or server at a high-end nightclub. I like jobs with tips because those are always the best. I could also volunteer with the SPCA, I don’t know, I just love animals. I don’t have a car, so that kind of limits my options of what I could do.
If not modeling, what is your passion?
I don’t really know, but animals, there is just something about them. Writing is also a passion of mine. I have always had a journal/diary/private-book-ish thing. Call it what you may, but it’s just a book I write in whenever I get upset, sad, or have a GREAT new idea! It’s a mood diary. I find that writing is the best way to channel my anger and other emotions. I used to be very verbal with my feelings, like swearing and just emotional, but now I find it is best to write it all down, or talk to myself in the mirror.
When I was younger I used to be on the national rhythmic gymnastics team. But then I had a really bad accident and basically I would never be able to go back to rhythmics. Needless to say that was really upsetting. I gave up everything for my gymnastics; I would bus all the way out to UBC (University of British Columbia) to practice everyday and then bus to school in West Van. I left all my friends and gave everything up for it, it was my passion. But since I had my accident and gymnastics isn’t an option anymore, I guess I haven’t a real passion to replace it.
Models are often perceived as ditzy and dumb. What are you thoughts on this?
It’s very double-sided. There are people who are going to praise you, “good for you for being so confident” type, and then there are the ones who just think you should put more clothes on.
With me it’s what you see is what you get, if you can’t handle it then don’t look at it. I have a friend, call her Dr. Suzy; she is the type of person who knows the right to say at every moment.
Anyway, she gives me advice, and tells me not to judge people because everybody makes mistakes. Whether a person’s mistake is wearing skimpy clothing or cheating on a test, it’s the same thing in the end: a mistake. I mean, people are going to do what they want to do and no one can make them stop but themselves.
As for ditzy and dumb, some models really are airheads. But a lot own their own businesses, like some are trainers during the off-season. I think most models are smarter than people give credit to; they have a higher-drive and a lot of dedication. I mean, they are making a living off what they are doing so they can’t be all that dumb.
But for the most part, it’s a VERY double-sided industry. There is no happy-medium, and you really have to be careful not to rub people the wrong way.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
In 10 years I will be 29, oh geez! Hopefully I will a husband and kids, 2 boys and a girl, but that is ideal. I definitely want a degree. I would like to have degree by that time, but in what, I don’t know. If I don’t, I wont look at myself in the keenest eye, and will feel like a bit of a failure. I hope I will be able to figure out what I want to do by that time. But for now, I’ll be going to a nursing program for 8 months in September. I know it’s not the longest program, but it will give me a chance to test the waters.
What is the best thing about Vancouver?
Beautiful city and best looking city in Canada by far. I’m a pretty avid outdoors person since I love camping, and rollerblading around the seawall, and Vancouver is the only city with a seawall. I don’t know what I would do without the seawall. Vancouver’s proximity to the ocean is great too. There are so many activities to do near or on the water.
How do you feel about Vancouver in the day? Where are you usually found?
In the day I’m usually in Burnaby, usually in bed for at least half the day, on a day to day basis. Otherwise, I’m downtown for photo shoots or anywhere in the lower mainland to do my promo work during the summer.
If you could live anywhere else, where would it be and why? Have you been there before?
Hmm, let me think. I’m stuck between Miami, L.A., and Vegas. I’ve been to LA and Vegas but never to Miami, hopefully soon though. I think any of them would be good because they are fast paced cities, and I’m good at keeping up. I hate it when I feel like I’m wasting time and not accomplishing anything, so work wise, I think being in the States would help me get a lot more done. However, I would only want to move after I am 21 and legal in the States. It just doesn’t really make sense to do it before then.
Also all these cities are close to the water, which is great because I love the beach. I would go crazy if I weren’t close to a beach and sometimes pools just aren’t enough!
How do you feel about Vancouver nightlife? What do you usually do at night?
Vancouver nightlife is okay but nothing spectacular. There is this one great club in Toronto that I really like. It has three floors, each with their own type of music. I think it is called Circa. I really like that club because it guarantees a good time. If one song sucks, you can move to a different song and continue to move between the rooms for the whole night. There isn’t anything like that here. After cover, coat check and everything else you have already spent 50 bucks and you don’t even know if the night will be good or not. The band/DJ could suck or the vibe just won’t be right, so for me, it’s not really that great to go clubbing here. Also I have a boyfriend so that kind of changes the going-out scene too.
I actually have more fun getting dressed up and going to do a photo shoot than getting drunk and clubbing.
What is your favorite food? And the best place to get it?
My favorite food is sushi and the best place to get it is Tomoya. It’s on Kingsway and…I want to say Nelson? Anyways, the street before Royal Oak, kind of by the French-English school. Ohhh, now I want sushi!
What is on your must-do/see in Vancouver list for a visitor?
Smoke a joint and rollerblade around the seawall! Umm, I would go out to a bar, but that is a night thing. In the day, I would make my visitor a nice breakfast, and if it is a nice day, I would take them to do something active, like go for a walk or rollerblade. I would take them to Robson because that is a big attraction and we could go shopping. Then we could have a nice lunch out. Basically, I would want to do things that they can’t do in their own city, like take the Sea Bus and wander around the North Vancouver Quay. Definitely go to the beach if they are from some place cold, and ski or snowboard if they know how. Really, things in Vancouver depend on the weather and season, but for sure, I would take them to things that would be memorable. It’s just what a good hostess does, and I hope someone would do that for me.
What is HYPE?
I have no idea! I don’t even know what it really means. I could look it up in a dictionary and define it for you. I never use it in a sentence! I guess it’s just like a buzz about something!
Check out more about Amanda on her model page here!
Photography by Nico Mak