Janae Saunders always considered herself sporty.
At five-foot-eight, with a long stride, the Grade 11 Hunting Hills High School student has been hitting her mark on the volleyball courts since Grade 7.
But the same long and lean qualities have made Saunders' friends suggest that maybe she should give modelling a try.
"A lot of my friends would call me 'Miss Model,'" she admitted, with a wry laugh. "They said, with my long legs, I should model."
Last winter, Saunders finally thought why not? She made an appointment with Calgary fashion photographer Elmer Erana, whose work she came across while scrolling through her phone at the airport.
"I wasn't expecting much. I just thought I would see what this is all about, see if it's something I wanted to do..."
It turned out Erana was so impressed with her look that Saunders was referred to meet with Ben Falconer, director of Western Canada's largest modelling and talent agency, Patti Falconer International.
Falconcer also saw a lot of potential in the athletic 17-year-old from Red Deer. "I had my first photo shoot on Dec. 8 and signed a contract (with Patti Falconer) on Jan. 6, said Saunders, who was caught off guard by the whirlwind pace.
The teenager has already walked spring runways during Fashion Week in Vancouver.
After attending a model forum in May with 20 scouts from around the world, she's booked for a month of photo shoots in Mexico, where she will be staying, along with her mother, in August. As she also received some interest from scouts from Istanbul, Saunder said she may be getting other calls in the weeks ahead.
Although modelling can be a tough gig, rife with unrealistic standards of thinness and beauty, Saunders feels playing sports has given her a lot of poise and confidence. Playing in front of cheering crowds also "gave me a love for showing off," she admitted, with a laugh.
Saunders said she got a good first impression of the Patti Falconer crew, who gave her assurances they look after their models and don't send them into troublesome situations. "I've only heard good things," said Saunders, who's looking forward to meeting new people in Mexico. She's also looking forward to the beaches "and the tacos."
But she knows the trip will also involve a lot of hard work.
Saunders was forewarned to expect at least 10 photo shoots with different photographers from across South and Central America, resulting in at least four jobs for various clothing brands.
As she will be completing all her Grade 12 credits by January, Saunders expects to dive more deeply into modelling in 2025.
As most modelling careers dry up after the age of 25, her long-term goal is to work in physiotherapy or kinesiology.
But in the meantime, she plans to enjoy modelling opportunities as they come. "My friends are very supportive. They are so excited for me... It will be hard to be gone for half the summer, but we will make July worthwhile."
