Aussie Model Ryan Channing on Exercise, Coming Out, & Australia's Marriage Politics

In February, DailyMail broke the news that Olympic gold medalist Ian Thorpe was dating Ryan Channing, an Australian model and law student. Thorpe came out in 2014 and has openly spoke about encouraging out athletes to participate in elite sports and how his experience shaped him. 

Now that his name is tied to Thorpe's, Channing spoke with Guys Like Uabout his modeling career, Australia's upcoming marriage equality vote, and his easy coming out.

Channing makes modeling sound far too easy: 

"If you’re not right for that campaign, there’s nothing wrong with you, it’s just they have something else in mind. There are few things you can change about the way you look, but having the right attitude can take you a long way."

He claims exercise doesn't restrict his life:

"I keep it pretty simple. I am mindful of what I eat without going to excesses. When I hit the gym, I actually go with one of my best friends as it gives us a chance to catch up, have a laugh and motivate each other."

Modeling is only one part of him:

"No matter how successful you are in modeling it's always good to keep you options open and to be involved in other things. It gives more balance to your life and makes you a more well rounded person. If you’re only a model, you are quite one dimensional."

His coming out was a piece of cake:

"I was actually very lucky with my experience as I never really had to come out. I used to bring my gay friends over to our family home and after a while my mum started to notice that my friends were gay and one day she asked me if I was like them. I have to admit, I was a slightly anxious about the question, but when she asked I simply said yes."

He's worried about Austrailia's expected public vote regarding marriage equality:

"I’m not so sure about this approach as I’m concerned about the possibility of seeing the anti same-sex marriage advertisements. While the majority of Australians support marriage equality there is a vocal minority voice that would like to maintain the status quo. It’s important to make sure that it gets easier for LGBTI in future generations, not harder."

Now for the Instagram pics you've been waiting for:

 

The summer of (heart) continues...

A photo posted by ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ᗩᑌᔕTᖇᗩᒪIᗩ. (@ryanchanning) on Feb 12, 2016 at 12:47am PST

 

SUNSHINE STATE // @labgallerie

A photo posted by ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ᗩᑌᔕTᖇᗩᒪIᗩ. (@ryanchanning) on Mar 7, 2016 at 11:07pm PST

Check out the entire interview at Guys Like U.