SINGAPORE — BEING FAT and failing once are never reasons not to chase a runway dream. Being a coward might be.
His obesity kept him from getting into the competition the first time he tried, but losing the first shot doesn’t mean losing in the end, at least that’s what 25-year-old Anthony John Garcia believes.
He may not know it, but “guts and determination” enabled him to win not only the battle against himself but also the second season of Dream Top Model here.
Dream Top Model is an OFW-initiated modeling search that culminated on February 28, 2016 at the Shanghai Dolly Theater, Clark Quay in this city-state.
This blogger was part of the judging panel that selected the winners, no easy task, but it gave us a closer look at the contestants, including Anthony, who fought hard for his first modeling victory ever. Anthony has just proven that winning is all about trying, and trying all over again whenever you fail.
Anthony John Garcia with co-winner Janina Espinoza (center), and (from left to right) DTM 2015 winner Mark Hermoso, catwalk guru Eddy Rosdi, Morpheus’ Maria Anthonete Fadallan, Mister International 2014 Niel Perez, Arthur Jake Villanueva, and Dhave dela Cruz.
Our short tête-à-tête with the newly crowned runway king at a post-event meet-up earlier in March led us to discover more about the person behind the pretty face and kingly aura.
Humble and courteous, Anthony said he was nothing but a “good looking guy,” as his mom told him when he entered the competition. Standing 5 feet, 8½ inches, he competed against 19 other male finalists. His win proves that the judges, like his mom, believe his looks are above the cut. But the win didn’t come without challenges.
The Comeback
He came to compete without abs or refined muscles. He weighed 174 pounds and carried layers of fat on his belly, enough to call himself obese when he auditioned five months ago. So failing to make it wasn’t a surprise.
Back then, it seemed fair not to be selected as one of the 20 male finalists. Around 300 other contenders wanted to join the elite circle of 20 males and 20 females. Aside from being fat, “feel ko din po hindi ako maalam maglakad (I am aware that I don’t know how to walk like a runway model),” Anthony told ElysPlanet.com.
He used the setback to his advantage. “I trained harder. For myself. To feel that I can be better than who I was,” says the young man who works for an IT company here. It never crossed his mind that he’d be notified of a chance to compete again.
After he failed to take a spot among the first roster of finalists for the Dream Top Model 2016 search, Anthony John Garcia trained harder to transform into a better version of himself.
Not New to Challenges
For a stiff competition like the Dream Top Model 2016 search, and for a newbie like him, challenges abound, but Anthony finds no greater challenge than being away from home, away from the people who speak his language and for whom love of family is common.
Born in San Pablo, Laguna, Anthony first set foot in Singapore at age 7, along with his little sister and mom, when they decided to follow his dad, who worked here as an OFW, and settle for good. Years later, his whole family embraced everything Singapore and became Singaporeans themselves, though not without the belief that full Filipino blood runs in his veins.
Anthony graduated with a Bachelor of Computer Science, Digital System Security, from the University of Wollongong, Australia – Singapore Institute of Management campus in 2015. More than the support of his loved ones, he believes education is one of the best tools for facing life’s challenges.
Looking Back
A single blog post won’t be enough to give our readers a glimpse of Anthony’s life, but the cute photos he sent us might say he has every reason to miss home. Forgive us for the cuteness.
The cute Anthony with his dad.
Becoming a Role Model
More than the sash and the glamour of being the male grand winner of Dream Top Model 2016, he values becoming “a role model to our Kababayans and a leading example on how to dream and achieve their goals.”
“I believe that I can be part of the foundation to strengthen the OFW-SG relations here in Singapore,” Anthony says in a Facebook post.
Anthony’s first shoot after joining Dream Top Model a few months back. The photo shows fellow Morpheus model Madel Torre, who would become his girlfriend months later. Madel, one of the prettiest girls in this year’s batch, won 4th runner-up in the competition.
Anthony was greeted by his family after winning the competition.
Anthony with Mister International 2014 Niel Perez of the Philippines.
Asked why he joined the modeling search, he said, “I wanted to try something new, so that when I grow old, I’d know I have lived my life without having to regret that I didn’t take such an opportunity.”
Anthony was glad he tried; if not, he wouldn’t be living somebody else’s dream now. Looking back at his bumpy start, his win is indeed a victory worth remembering for life.
Photos courtesy of J.Viven Photography, Kajjo Cuadera Photography, Ryan Cabrera, Dennis Goh
Inspiring…
Indeed. Thanks for the comment, JC. Ikaw naman sunod. :)