Name: Sarah Murdoch
Age: 36
Occupation: Model/Producer/Television Personality

She describes herself as the quintessential Aussie girl from the Northern Beaches of Sydney. She launched her modeling career by accident at the age of 17 and considers herself fortunate to have had such a wonderful life that has seen her travel the world, live in many different places and meet so many interesting people. The sum of these experiences now inspires her to contribute to the world around her. Sarah says: "There is nothing more rewarding than helping others. I am passionate about giving. Isn't it always better to give than to receive?"

Who was your role model/s when you were a teen?
The most important role model when I was a teen (and still is today) is my Mum. She has dedicated her life to her children, all four of us. I believe the fact that I have been able to understand what is right and wrong in this world and good and bad morally is from my Mum.

How did your role model/s help you?
When I was so young traveling the world I saw so many people get swept up in all the hype. I feel so fortunate that I was always able to see the shallowness of that world and I think having my Mum travel the world with me was part of that.

What role or influence do you think role models have?
I think we all look at other people, at the way they handle themselves particularly in tough times, and we always wonder whether we would be the same. I have many role models, most of whom are my closest friends. A role model should really inspire us to be better people.

What were some of the issues you faced as a teen?
I was always an extremely self conscious teenager, I was skinny and gawky and very uncomfortable in my own skin. I hadn't really thought of modeling but my brother pushed me into seeing an agent. So imagine the first photo shoot the next day, I had no idea what to do! My biggest issue was self confidence.

How did you overcome these issues?
I suppose as we get older we learn more about ourselves and we learn to appreciate what we have and appreciate our individuality. Strangely enough I found most models were the most insecure people in the world, probably because they are always being told what their faults are. It was important for me to again realise how lucky I was and to keep a sense of reality.

What do you remember most about being a teen?
I went to a performing arts school so I danced classical ballet pretty much 8 or 9 hours a day. For me, being a teen was all about my passion for dance, I never thought about much else. It's a very insular world. But I gave up dancing when I was about 17 so going out to the real world was a big adjustment. School was obviously a big part of being teen and the relationship with other girls in your class can seem so big at the time but it's important not to get caught up in all of that.

What qualities do you think you possess that has helped you succeed in your chosen field?
I am auditioning girls now for Australia's Next Top Model and it is interesting because I now know it's not just about being pretty to be successful in this business. I was always complimented on my professionalism. I believed in working hard and never gave up. There is a lot of rejection in this business and the hardest part is sometimes no matter how hard you try sometimes you don't have the right look. Because I always believed in hard work I found this quite hard to come to terms with. This industry has its ups and downs but as long as you stay true to yourself and know you are doing your best that's all that really matters.

Outside of career success, what is it that you are most proud of?
Of course, my two children, Kalan and Aidan. Everyday I realise what little miracles they are and how lucky we are as parents, watching them thrive and grow and learn about the world around them. It is just so amazing.

Do you undertake activities to help others/community?
I have been working with the National Breast Cancer Foundation for 11 years now. I am also the ambassador for the Murdoch Children's Research Institute and a board member of the Australian Ballet. This is one part of my life that I am so passionate about.

Your advice to youths about realising their own potential…
They say youth is wasted on the young! Looking back now if I think about school and my early career things that seemed so big at the time are now really quite insignificant. I know it is easy to say to people try to see the big picture but there really is so much opportunity out there. It's just up to you to go out there and get it. Don't be afraid of hard work and of failing. Life is all about taking risks and when you take those risks and succeed that's the best feeling of all.

When it comes to how you live your life, what are the most important factors/values?
The most important things in my life are my family and friends. It has been amazing to grow together, learn about life, make mistakes, have a laugh and be there for one another.

Why do you think you make a good role model?
People ask me that question a lot. I don't really think of myself as a role model and of course I worry about the responsibility that entails. I can only live my own life but I do believe in understanding what is important in this world. Is that good enough to be a role model?