National athletes Adrian Ang and Shining Ng Shin Yii may have retired from their respective sports of ten-pin bowling and wushu respectively, but now it is time for their daughter, Aurelea to shine.

Surprisingly it is not in the sports field, but as a model where the six-year-old has already been busy carving her name in the local industry, even participating in a competition in Thailand. Rojak Daily spoke to Adrian about his daughter to find out more about life on the runway.

Malaysian sports fans will be familiar with Adrian’s name, having won major tournaments such as SEA Games, Asian Games, and Asian Youth for the country. "The gold medal in the men's doubles at the 2018 World Men's Championships in Hong Kong was the peak of it all,” he said. The Penang-born athlete retired in 2021 after 17 years with the national elite squad to focus on his family and business.

Meanwhile, his wife Shining had represented Malaysia in every World Wushu Championships since 2009 until her retirement in 2016. She bagged Silver in Taijijian category at the 2014 World Championships.

Adrian dished on their meet-cute, “My wife and I met when I was refilling my water bottle in the cafeteria at Majlis Sukan Negara. She was waiting behind me. I lost grip of my bottle and managed to grab it before it fell. She laughed at me, and I smiled back at her.

"We soon got to know each other better through an athlete’s camp before the Asian Games Incheon 2014 and we’ve been a couple ever since.” The couple got married in 2015 and Aurelea Ang Xiaau Juo was born on 24 July 2017.

If you can run-why walk?

Kate Moss was discovered at the age of 14, but Adrian and Shining found out that Aurelea had a penchant for modelling much earlier on. “She first saw it through social media, she kept asking who the people were and we explained that they were models who showcase clothes through different poses. She then tried to imitate them.”

Aurelea had her first catwalk at age 2 at a mini show and started to learn more about it when she was 4. At 5, she had her first international show at the Junior Model International in Thailand where she showed off traditional Malaysian garb and went on to impressively place second runner-up.

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She was also crowned the champion in the kids’ category at the Georgetown Fashion Week and the Vogue For Virtual Queensbay Mall.

Through her Instagram videos, you may think that the child has had a lot of professional training, but Aurelea has a natural flair for it. Adrian explained, “Aurelea only attended a short workshop, most of the time she just practices at home by looking at the big mirror in the living room.” However, she has since attended the Alist Academy Malaysia in PJ.

Aurelea has also modelled for several mask brands such as Neutrovis and Iconic Worldwide. Being based in Penang, she has had to turn down many job offers, “We have had quite an extensive job list for her but as they were based in Kuala Lumpur, we mostly had to say no. We always have to give and take with whatever plans she has.”

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Speaking about how Aurelea juggles school and work, Adrian said, “Modelling events are usually on the weekend so there is usually no issue. Sacrifices have to be made such as applying for leave from school when she has outstation competitions and making sure she does her homework before travelling. We also have to apply for leave ourselves.”

We asked if Aurelea is tied to a contract or if she’s attached to a particular agency. “We don’t have to pay agencies and there are no contracts. Instead, we submit the comp card to multiple agencies who help us filter for jobs, which we can choose to accept or not.”

Besides her talents on the runway, the well-rounded child has also exhibited talents at playing piano, gymnastics and ballet, even being the top scorer in the ballet category at Centre Stage, The Great Dance Academy, Kuala Lumpur.

Behind the glitz and glamour

All of us have probably entertained the thought of being a model at some time or other, but patience is key. Adrian explained the process of attending a modelling tournament, “It takes up the whole day from 8.30am until the show starts at night.

The morning session requires all the models to do the final rehearsal which takes three hours. At 2.00 pm, we head to the makeup room to start preparing them for the show. The preparations and show then go on until midnight.”

He added, “If you have a preferred makeup artist (MUA), you must pay and reserve them for the show. Usually, the organiser will plan a makeup artist for the kids but having your own MUA is preferable as it ensures a smoother process, and the desired look may not be what you want.”

For those who may be sceptical about modelling activities being carried out by a young child, Adrian said that it has been Aurelea’s choice all the way, “She will let Shining and I know whether she still loves it or not. We even keep asking her if she'd like to continue despite the hardships. So far, she would let us know if she doesn’t like doing it.

"All the classes she’s been to so far such as piano, ballet, and gymnastics have been her choice as she kept wanting to pursue these activities. Communication is the main thing in understanding each other.”

It seems like her younger sister, Aubry also hopes to follow in Aurelea’s footsteps as their father says she keeps trying to go onstage for her own catwalk. “She tried it once at a mini show in KL,” Adrian told us.

For those who may want their child to embark on the same path, Adrian advised, “Don't stop them from exploring. If you observe them well and spend time with them long enough, you will know what they want. And they will surprise you if you listen and see what they do. Spend time with them and know what they want.

"The three principles in my daily routine are commitment, attitude, and discipline. Commit to your plans and proceed to finish it. We have to have a positive attitude to finish something as well as discipline in carrying it out.”

Finally, speaking about whether Aurelea hopes to be the next Amber Chia, Adrian said, “We just want her to be happy. Plans will come as we go along. So all we focus on is to treasure each day and go with the flow. We will support her and guide her the best we can as long as she wants to pursue modelling.”

Follow Adrian, Shining, as well as Aurelea & Aubry on Instagram.

Image credit: facebook.com/Alistmalaysia, facebook.com/WushuMalaysia, facebook.com/MTBC74