I’m a veteran & Sports Illustrated Swimsuit finalist – the Navy made me a better model, but I pushed its makeup rules
PLENTY of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit models have likely sweat through Barry's Bootcamp — but how many have been through actual boot camp?
Swim Search finalist Brittney Nicole, 31, could be the first veteran to pose for the magazine's iconic Swimsuit Issue, and she explained how her military training could actually help her in her modeling career in an exclusive interview with The U.S. Sun.
In April, Brittney made the cut of the in this year's Sports Illustrated Swim Search for new models — just a few years after ending her eight-year stint in the U.S. Navy.
It would be natural to assume these two careers — sailor and model, and a swimsuit model at that — wouldn't have anything in common.
But New Orleans resident Brittney said there are a few things from the armed forces that helped prepare her for her big model moment.
"A lot of things the military taught me have transferred over," she said.
For one, "I don't think I would have the endurance for everything that I'm doing if it hadn't been for the military."
She also got pretty good at staying serious and not laughing when she might be a bit nervous.
"When you’re in formation and people are inspecting your uniform, you have to keep a straight face.
"During a photo shoot, you can't be all giggly and silly. So I think that's one thing that I definitely can keep in mind — I can always turn it on and off whenever I need to."
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Of course, one major difference between saluting and striking a pose is the level of primping involved.
"I’m a fashionista. I love to do my hair different ways. But when I was in [uniform], we had to wear our hair in a sleek bun, pulled back," she said.
"You could still do your makeup, but it had to blend in with the uniform and everything had to be cohesive. Everything had to be very natural.
"This wasn't a runway, so I couldn't go full-on 'supermodel' with it.
"But I tried to get away with it as much as I could. I had the blush, the lip gloss," she said, adding that nail polish also had to be kept to nude and natural colors.
But though she's a girly girl, the military is in Brittney's blood: When she enlisted, she was following in the footsteps of her dad and grandpa, who were both Marines.
She signed up right after college, embracing the opportunity to ";explore the world and do all my traveling."
And she did, spending time in far-flung places including Spain, Guam, Israel, and Japan.
But in all that time, she didn't actually sail anywhere.
"I was in the Navy for eight years. Not once did I step foot on a ship," she admitted.
"I think a lot of people have this misconception that when you join the Navy, you're automatically on a ship and you sail for a few months at a time, but I actually flew to all my locations and stayed on bases."
Her job consisted of humanitarian work like building schools, runways, and churches.
Even with a construction job, though, she kept in fighting shape.
"Me being athletic really happened once I joined the military," she said.
"I had no choice. We were up at four or five o'clock in the morning doing six-mile runs, doing a lot of hardcore training.
Keeping up and challenging herself, Brittney insisted it wasn't too hard to be taken seriously as a woman in the military, even as an attractive one.
"It could be a bit of a challenge trying to prove yourself, but thankfully, I had a really good team and they really mentored me and helped me."
She liked the military enough that when she left at age 28, she took on contracting jobs.
But once she turned 30, she decided to add modeling to her résumé, picking up gigs at New York Fashion Week, posing for a New Orleans bridal magazine cover, and signing with Ford Models.
Earlier this year, she threw her hat in the ring for Swim Search.
"I want to bring my childhood dreams to life and Sports Illustrated was one of those dreams of mine," she said.
A big Tyra Banks fan, Brittney said she'd probably faint and cry if she made the top six, which will be announced this month — and she's getting a head start on preparing for her photo shoot.
"I'm already big on working out and eating healthy. So I just want to look as good as possible once I get out there and just be prepared," she said.
Yet despite her unique veteran status, Brittney says she's more than the military.
"The military is something that I've done and it's a part of me, but it's not exactly who I am," she said.
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"I take pride in being a veteran. It was the best experience of my life. It made me who I am today.
"[But] modeling has always been a passion of mine. We only have one life to live, you have to chase your dreams, right?"
