South Surrey teen model Annika Van Vliet is no stranger to the spotlight, and it鈥檚 about to get a whole lot brighter.
At 15, Annika has posed for numerous photo shoots, given television interviews and walked fashion-week runways in both Vancouver and Toronto 鈥� activities she only began dipping her toe into about a year ago.
On Saturday (Sept. 9), she鈥檒l shine in the Big Apple, with her photo among 500 to be featured in a jumbotron video presentation in New York鈥檚 Times Square launching the 2023 Buddy Walk, an annual event to raise awareness for Down syndrome in the U.S.
But Annika鈥檚 brightest moment so far is yet to come, and one many aspiring models can only dream of: walking the runway for Paris Fashion Week.
The prestigious affair鈥檚 autumn/winter edition is set for Sept. 25 to Oct. 2, with Annika鈥檚 moment on the runway at Le Bristol Paris hotel to come on Oct. 1.
Walking with La Belle magazine 鈥� a publication, according to labellkidz.com, 鈥渇or the trendsetting and style-savvy child鈥� 鈥� she鈥檚 been training for the experience since first learning she鈥檇 been chosen for it a couple of months ago.
She doesn鈥檛 yet know what she鈥檒l be wearing, but when it comes to what鈥檚 expected of her, she knows to look straight ahead, do 鈥渢he walk鈥� and pause for a three-second pose in either direction when she reaches the runway鈥檚 end before walking back.
While full of shy giggles and blushing during a FaceTime chat with Peace Arch News Thursday (Sept. 7), Annika comes into her own in front of a camera, her mom said. Her Instagram page (@annika.jillian) is bursting with examples.
鈥淧eople her whole life have told me, 鈥榶ou gotta get her into modelling,鈥欌�� said Lisa, in explaining her daughter鈥檚 path to the jumbotron and Paris. 鈥淪he was always a poser鈥� always been very photogenic and very, like, a ham, so I just threw her in the (modelling) shows.鈥�
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Annika, who started Grade 10 at St. John Paul II Academy this week, broke into modelling after being discovered during a June 2022 Glam-Z gala. Approached by three agencies, she ultimately signed on with , an Edmonton-based 鈥渄isability-focused talent and media company,鈥� and her interest hasn鈥檛 wavered, her mom said.
鈥淭his kid has been working non-stop ever since,鈥� said Lisa.
鈥淪he鈥檚 15 and she鈥檚 just killin鈥� it.鈥�
Lisa said she and her husband Troy had plenty of time to prepare for the joys and challenges that come with raising a child born with Down syndrome 鈥� Annika was diagnosed in-utero, at just 15 weeks into Lisa鈥檚 pregnancy.
They did 鈥渢ons鈥� of therapy with her from the moment she was born and 鈥渁lways push her to be her best.鈥�
鈥淲e鈥檝e never subscribed to the 鈥榗an鈥檛,鈥欌�� said Lisa.
Annika, she noted, knows she has Down syndrome, but doesn鈥檛 let it hold her back. In addition to her modelling, she is currently ambassador for both Canadian Down Syndrome Society and the .
Saturday鈥檚 Buddy Walk presentation is to air live from 9:30-10:30 a.m. EST on the . Annika鈥檚 photo is scheduled to appear between 10:20-10:30 a.m. EST (7:20-7:30 a.m. local time).
