I would like to introduce a young man who will be modeling in New York on May 29 at the Two Year Anniversary of Uomo Moderno Magazine, a publication of Men's Fashion by Mark.
I first met Kevin Kreider at a casting call for the Fashion & Fitness Swimwear Show on April 10th in Philadelphia at 12th Street Gym. As a professional model, athlete, and personal trainer, Kevin did an outstanding job.
Over the years, Kevin has been an inspiration to many people, so I asked Kevin a few more questions so that we may know him better. I hope this interview inspires you, as well.
Where are you from originally Kevin?I am South Korean born, adopted into an American family when I was 3 years old. I grew up in Roxborough, Philadelphia.
What drew you to modeling?What attracted me to modeling was the opportunity to challenge people’s perspectives on Asian American males.
Why?Growing up, there was always the stereotype that Asians weren’t attractive enough to be desired. We were skinny, non sexual beings who only wanted to study math and science. I saw this as an opportunity to break the industry standards, along side with other Asian American male models who helped break the industry stereotypes.
How did physical fitness come into play?I was drawn to physical fitness because I was bullied a lot when I was growing up. I entered puberty very easy and was taunted for having a deep voice that cracked, a skinny uncoordinated body, pimples, and being Asian.
In what ways were your parents a support to you?My parents gave me a book called Willy the Whimp, and Willy was a chimp who I related to because he was being bullied as well. He started lifting and no one bullied him any longer. I started working out next to my mom when she would ride the stationary bike and got into the self confidence it gives to you when you transform your body.
And skateboarding?Skateboarding was something I just learned how to do before I started losing my hair from Alopecia Areata; so I chose skateboarding because it was new and exciting for me, and it was something that didn’t seem to make sense for me to do, but I decided to do it anyway.
You said your skateboard trek across the US was to inspire others.... I originally came up with inspiring people because people kept asking me for a reason and I thought that was the best answer at the time. I really just wanted time away to gather my thoughts for self discovery. What ended up happening was that I was inspired by the people I encountered and their life stories that I caught on camera. I want to now share those events that touched me so others can be inspired.
What are your aspirations for the future?I want to play roles in action movies and train on the road. I really want to make a difference in people’s lives for the better. As cliche as that sounds, I realize that I’m the happiest when I can help someone and they succeed. Its the worst feeling when you work to help someone, but they are lazy and make excuses. My goal is to educate on a broad scale the type of training and nutrition that works for me and my clients. I’d love to work with actors, models, and celebrities for roles and be on tour, as well as their trainer and nutritionist in the near future.
Well, as you can see, Kevin Kreider is a dynamic guy, full of passion and inspiration. Here's a video he sent me that I think will inspire you even more:
You can contact or follow Kevin at:
www.kevinkreider.com
Instagram@kevinandhisskateboard
Facebook: Kevin TaeJin Kreider