Valeriya Sizova has only been competing in sports modelling for a little over six months but the Cronulla girl is already turning heads.
Sizova was chosen as one of 24 national finalists to compete for one of the most prestigious sports modelling titles in Australia – Miss Supercars.
The 24-year-old will travel to Queensland for the Gold Coast 600 event this weekend and has high hopes to be crowned the national Miss Supercars winner.
And there are brains and brawn behind her beauty.
Sizova traveled to Australia from Russia seven years ago after finishing high school to continue her education, completing a Bachelor of Political and Social Sciences at the University of Sydney.
She moved to the shire two years ago and has continued with one of her other loves, long distance running, hitting the esplanade at Cronulla every morning.
Sizova is also a dancer, choreographer and dance teacher and has become a role model, showcasing a healthy lifestyle to her dancing students – her intense training regime including going to the gym five or six times a week, a daily 10-kilometre run, weight training and lots of dancing.
“I love teaching and I believe dancing is one of the greatest way to keep yourself fit and healthy,” Sizova said.
“Having constant mental stimulation by learning dance routines, knowing your body well and building confidence starting from your walk, flexibility, posture and to gain more friends and meeting people with common interests like dancing.
“I believe girls from an early age have to experience dancing classes. Your body is your material or product that you can work with and create wonders people think are impossible to achieve. Flexibility, muscle toning, core strength, creation of beautiful movements and shapes – peoples’ minds are unique creatures and dancing can help to reveal it in us.
“Also, dancing helped me a lot in modelling itself, the posture, the looks, expression of the face, walking... it is all a part of dancing.
“I adore my students and people I have taught and I am honoured to help other girls and women to build more confidence through what I do and serve them as an example of how to keep fit, healthy, happy and mentally stimulated. This is my ultimate goal and pay back for what I believe in and work for.”
As well as a background in basketball and gymnastics, dancing is Sizova’s other passion, with plans in place to open her own dance studio in the shire at the start of next year.
“I enjoy my active lifestyle, sport is life,” Sizova said.
“Whether it’s gym training, running dancing, volleyball… the more active you are the more energy and mental stimulation you have throughout the whole day.
“Being active means being alive, that’s my everyday motto.”