Lorna Munro: A year of highlights

Lorna Munro is not your average student.  The 22 year old achieved more last year than some might do in a whole lifetime – and there’s no sign of her slowing down.

Lorna is in her second year of a Master’s degree in Nutrition and Dietetics and is the co-administrator of the blonde dietitians, a growing Instagram page. During 2017, Lorna entered the Danielle Cleary Events (DCE) model search and (to her surprise) won. A year on, Lorna is a familiar face in the modelling industry in Canberra and across the nation, shooting for brands such as BYS and Showpo.

But that’s not all.

The slight blonde is also a taekwondo black belt and has represented Australia on an international level for several years, topping it off by competing in the 2017 Summer Universiade.  Meaning she’s not only making a name for herself in front of the camera but also on the mats.

Taekwondo isn’t exactly a mainstream sport; how did you pick it up?

I started when I was eight years old because my family was planning on moving to a bit of a rough town in rural NSW and my Dad wanted me to be able to protect myself. When I first started, I very much did not want to be there. I wanted to be a ballerina or doing horse riding or gymnastics.

It didn’t take me long at all to fall completely in love with the sport. The biggest benefit is being able to protect yourself. Becoming a black belt is a hard and long process, however, at the end of it, you are so confident and empowered, it’s truly worth it.

Just how good are you?

Well, I’m an internationally recognised black belt and a member of the Australian Taekwondo Team. In my category, I’ve won the Australian National Championships five times, I’m the current Oceania Champion in the -67kg division and just last year, I represented Australia in the 2017 Summer Universiade.

On top of your achievements, you’re also an instructor. Why do you think it is so important to teach others?

This has been a huge passion for me and something that I hold close to my heart. I have been volunteering and teaching kids, teens and adults within my club for years…

I love being able to pass on my skills and knowing that it is going to help someone and keep them safe is just the cherry on top of it all.

I think self-defence and self-awareness is so underrated. I believe it’s an essential skill to have as it can prevent a lot of unwanted situations and will also be your greatest tool if you are ever caught in a dangerous or pressing situation.

I think it is so important to teach others and pass on these skills because you never know what can happen and it’s always better to be safe than sorry.

How has winning the 2017 DCE Model Host Search affected your plans for the future?

I haven’t always wanted to be a model. I’ve always taken a lot of selfies, lol, but I never thought I would be a model or thought that I would be doing it as my job! I’m still quite new to the industry, so I’m still working out where I stand and what opportunities are there for me.

Winning the DCE Model Search and taking on modelling part time has changed a few of my goals and priorities. It’s been hard trying to work out where it sits in my life, however, it’s something I’m looking to peruse.

Is modelling your main focus currently in terms of career or are you continuing your studies?

I am continuing my studies! I’m currently going into my Placement year of my Masters in Nutrition and Dietetics and I’m working towards becoming an Accredited Practising Dietitian.

[My first year] was such a hard year; the content was very dense and there were so many times where I thought I wasn’t going to make it through. It was such a highlight to finish the year with grades that I’m proud of, as well as finishing my research project, which was a qualitative study on Weighing Women in Pregnancy.

What is the blonde dietitians about?

The blonde dietitians is an Instagram page my peers within the Masters and I made to showcase our recipe modifications, tips and knowledge. We all do the Masters of Nutrition and Dietetics together at UC and are all blonde.

Throughout our first year, we received numerous comments about how we won’t be taken seriously in the profession because we are blonde. So, we made the page to say we are blonde and guess what, we still know what we are talking about! At the moment, the page is really good for displaying what we are doing as developing dietitians and in the future, maybe it will turn into a blog or private practice.

???? PLANT BASED OMEGA 3 ???? Don’t eat seafood? That’s okay. There are a few great plant based sources that contain omega 3 fats that are very beneficial to our health. Omega 3 fats benefit our skin, hair, heart and mental health. Not only do these plant based sources have healthy fats, but they can also contain dietary fibre too. ✨Chia seeds – about 65% of the day content of chia seeds is made of up omega 3 fats (ALA). Chia seeds also contain dietary fibre, antioxidants and vitamins and minerals. Chia seeds turn gel-like when added to foods/drinks. ✨Flaxseeds – with a substantial amount of dietary fibre, vitamins and minerals, and a a growing amount of evidence for their use, flaxseeds often are available in seed form, oil, ground and capsule form. Research suggests consuming flaxseeds in ground or oil form will enable the most omega 3 to be utilised, as whole flaxseeds can pass through the digestive tract undigested. ✨Hemp seeds – relatively new on the market and only recently legalised for food use, hemp seeds have a high amount of quality digestible protein, omega 3 fats, dietary fibre and vitamins and minerals. I find hemp seeds taste like macadamia nuts, and blend excellently in smoothies! They give a nice creamy texture to foods they are used with. ✅Consuming a wide range of seeds, nuts, plant oils (olive, flaxseed, etc), and oily seafood if eaten will help provide quality omega 3 fats that your body will love you for, inside and out!

A post shared by Three Student Dietitians (@theblondedietitians) on Feb 19, 2018 at 8:48pm PST

With all these things going on, how do you find balance between all the aspects in your life?

From being busy and having a full-on schedule, I’ve become quite the wiz at time management and I am able to slot each respective aspect in where it needs to be.

The biggest and best tip I have for those who are looking for success in all aspects of their life is to be completely focused on what you’re doing when you’re doing it.

I used to struggle with being stressed about training while I was at uni and being stressed about uni while I was at training. This does not allow you to give one hundred percent to what you are doing. So, my rule is to have an amazingly organised schedule, be prepared and be present. As soon as I bow into my training centre, I am one hundred percent there to train and when I get to uni or I sit down to study, I am one hundred percent there to learn.

Have you found that modelling and your sport compete with each other for time? Do you think you will eventually have to give one up?

They do compete for my time and sometimes, it is hard to prioritise them. However, I don’t think I will ever have to give one up unless I want to. During different times in your life, different parts of your life will be more of a priority to you than others. It’s all about navigating what you want and when you want it. Sometimes, taekwondo will be my number one priority leading up to a big competition and sometimes it will be the other way around, which is completely fine.

With that in mind, what drives you to keep going?

In Australia, we have such a phenomenal quality of life. I am so grateful to have food to eat and a roof over my head.

My biggest worry or problem is that I have to train hard, study hard and work hard every day, and that in itself is also a blessing.

Knowing that there are people living in this world, with problems and worries much greater than I could ever imagine really puts things in perspective for me and shows me that there is no reason why I can’t achieve everything I want.

There’s been a lot of big highlights lately, but the smaller moments in life are always a highlight for me. I keep moments like having a cup of tea with my Mum very close to me and that’s something I love to reflect on and feel grateful for as well.