Model determined to strut and succeed

MBOMBELA – A mere year after beginning to model, Mbombela’s very own Dean Alberts’ career has taken off. He won the prestigious title of Top Model South Africa (TMSA) last Saturday.

The event, held in Carnival City in Gauteng, is considered an international affair, and Alberts already has his choice of offers in modelling contracts.

He told Lowvelder that it all began about a year ago, when he joined a friend, Marno Botha, at a modelling class.

“He walked in and I just fell in love!” said his coach, Candice Paterson, from Master Models. “I recruited him right there and then.”

The young star’s friends and family have been supporters from the start, and he ended up taking 23 of them to the final event where he won the national title. On the night, three young girls asked for his autograph.

“It was so cute, they are young, not even this tall,” he said, motioning to half his height. “I feel honoured that I am not just a model, but a role model to young impressionable minds already.”

It took a lot of work, as he had to learn how to walk, how to talk, conduct himself, follow an eating plan, and strict gym schedule to keep in shape.

“Rejection is a big part of this industry, and models need to be able to cope with that too. We worked for hours to get everything right, and then we work on how to deal with it in case of rejection,” said Paterson.

Alberts felt extremely blessed and lucky, as this career path will most likely take him overseas. “London is the first step, but Italy is definitely on my bucket list,” he said, adding that he would love to do both runway modelling and editorial. He would like to work with Candice Swanepoel, a fellow South African, and a Victoria Secret model.

He shared his skincare tip, saying, “I tried so many things, then I went on holiday and forgot my products at home. I started drinking green tea, and along with natural sunlight, a healthy diet and the tea, my skin started clearing up after about a month without all my products.”

Alberts confessed, he usually followed a strict diet but cheated in the past two weeks. “My sister was so angry every time she came home to find that whatever treat she left in the fridge was gone. I ate everything. I’m just lucky it did not show!”

He turns to God often, “I pray for strength, and I pray every night, I am so thankful for what I am blessed with.”

Alberts did not always have the looks he has now, and told the newspaper about verbal abuse in his past. “Young people have to remember that they need to keep going, and not give up. Stay humble and prove your haters wrong. You don’t have to say anything, let your results speak for you, as my title now speaks for me.”

Photo’s supplied by Master Models and Lowvelder.