Professional identity is one of the most thrilling themes for people of all ages. Some people have already changed multiple jobs by their 30s, but others are just trying to do this leap of faith and feeling anxious about it. Naven Hope, who dedicated almost all his life to sports, dared to switch his bobsleigh career to modeling. He told us how to accept that a childhood dream failed to come true, why sometimes there can&rsquo;t be enough time to heal soul wounds, and what to do to make this professional twist comfortable.

Now you are on the magazine covers, but how did your modeling path begin?
In my childhood I went swimming, running and karate, I even thought that I would succeed in the last one. Unfortunately, I got a serious injury and spent two months at a hospital, so after that, I realized that martial arts are not my cup of tea. My temper was not suitable for that.

And what was next?
After recovery, I became addicted to the gym. At that time, bodybuilding was at its peak of popularity, so it affected me as a seventeen-year-old boy. My physique was cut out for gaining muscle mass, so it took not much time to get in a good form and even to perform in a couple of championships. Soon I realized that it was impossible to earn any money for a living in this sport because there was no governmental support. It boiled down to spending your savings for food, gym, traveling, and then having no monetary reward.

Sport is hard not only physically but even mentally. Despite all this, you didn&rsquo;t quit?
One day after my workout, I met my former athletics coach. She invited me to train with her, and sometime later she conceived an idea for me to take a chance in bobsleigh. At that moment, I had never heard anything about that sport, but honestly, I was very excited. It turned out that we had a perfect match with bobsleigh: due to my bodybuilding background, I was about 95 kg with 190 cm in height. Strength is of paramount importance to this discipline.

Was it easy to get to the team?
It was a real quest. For the first time, I tried to get into the junior team after 1-2 months of preparation, but of course, I hadn&rsquo;t gotten enough experience and athletic technique. I wasn&rsquo;t on a proper level at that moment. After rejection, I trained for a whole year with a good trainer, and the second attempt was successful. We were doing well: slowly moved from last places to winning the world and Europe junior championships.

So how did you get to the adult team?
The good season gave me a ticket to the team, but I became a substitute. But I was gobsmacked because, for me, it just didn't matter how to get to the Olympics. That was the year when only two athletes from my country had an opportunity to perform, so my teammates and I were simply guests. Of course, I wanted more, so the next year was full of different issues: I continued training hard, got a serious injury, took pills, tried to compete, got to the junior team once more, and tried to get to the Olympics in China.

Oh, I&rsquo;m so sorry you had to go through this. What was the result of the last attempt?
I was very anxious that I gave all of my energy and time to training, but I didn&rsquo;t get anything in return &ndash; neither financially nor mentally. I decided to set myself a condition: if I wouldn&rsquo;t get to the Olympics, I&rsquo;d ill quit. During the auditions, I looked less strong than other professional athletes, so nothing turned out. That was a point of no return.

How did you feel about your childhood dream vanishing into thin air?
I won&rsquo;t lie, it still hurts me deeply. It was hard to embrace and sink in that I am not talented enough to stay, try to develop, and earn money. Maybe someone won&rsquo;t agree, but when you&rsquo;re young, you do sports because of emotions, and when you&rsquo;re an adult you want something more than just free travel and an Olympic uniform. So I had to make that hard life-changing decision for my future.

And why modeling?
Since 10th grade, I was in a modeling agency in my hometown. There wasn&rsquo;t any specific work at that time because the fashion industry was at a low level. Everyone did modeling just to have a whale of a time and to make new friends. Maximum we were offered to work as a hostess at some rare events, literally no castings, no catalog shootings, or campaigns. As time passed, the situation changed and for the last 12 months of my sports career, I set my heart on modeling because I started to participate in fashion photoshoots. By the way, social media played a humongous role in my modeling career.

Did someone help you with the promotion?
No, I did everything by myself, just posting my pictures on Instagram. I got my first job offers there! I&rsquo;m thankful for this to my friend photographer, with whom we started communicating in my Direct messages when he offered to make a creative photoshoot together. It took me several seconds to accept his offer because I was very interested in making a portfolio.
The first time it all consisted of his pics. Due to this now I work with a big team of professionals. My decision to try modeling helped me to live through the breakup with sports and not feel depressed, exhausted, and overwhelmed.

Was it hard to start from scratch?
Actually, no. I was hired by a modeling agency in the capital on the first try. The only thing that I found hard was getting used to new people and learning new skills. Often I felt uncomfortable on photoshoots or fittings because I have always been in a different environment where everyone showed other behavior.

What does attract you to the fashion industry?
Absolutely everything &ndash; from castings to seeing a final result in magazines. Of course, the most exciting thing is the process of a photoshoot because you simultaneously are getting new contacts, having a blast, earning money, and developing as a pro. Also, every photoshoot brings you closer and closer to the main goal of becoming a well-known and demanded artist.

Tell us about your ambitions, are there many?
My first magazine cover of L&rsquo;Officiel Hommes and this shoot and interview are already things to die for. I&rsquo;m very lucky to be a part of it. Talking about the future, I would like to work with international brands in Europe and The United States, also I&rsquo;m hoping to learn new skills and begin acting. This uncharted territory lures me because I can show much more than just a beautiful picture.

How deep did you already dive into the industry?
Recently I visited Fashion Weeks in Paris and Milan, and it was like I met my biggest crush. These events are crucial for the whole industry not only because of new trends and shows but due to networking &ndash; they give the great chance to meet people who build it from the inside.
During two weeks of these events, I met an awful lot of amazing people, was on a couple of meetings with agencies, and visited a fitting of a very famous brand. After all, there is a new point on my wish list &ndash; to be a model on a runway next year. Fingers crossed!

What can you advise people who want to change their occupation?
If your job stopped satisfying you, and you feel that you are on the brink of emotional burnout, start doing minuscule steps in another realm. The first time, you don&rsquo;t need to quit your main job because it can be harmful financially and mentally if something goes wrong. Just experiment, analyze and try different variants, eventually, you&rsquo;ll find something interesting and decide when and how you want to switch jobs. The key is not to stop or despair, but to grow and continue to prosper.

PHOTOGRAPHER: DENIS NEMYACHENKO @<a href="https://www.instagram.com/DENIS.NEMYACHENKO/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DENIS.NEMYACHENKO</a>
MODEL: NAVEN HOPE @<a href="https://www.instagram.com/NAVENHOPE" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NAVENHOPE</a>
CREATIVE DIRECTOR: GEORGIY MALAHOV @<a href="https://www.instagram.com/GEORGIYGARS" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GEORGIYGARS</a>
STYLIST: MAX KATT @<a href="https://www.instagram.com/MAXKATT" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MAXKATT</a>
MUAH: YANA DOLGODVOROVA @<a href="https://www.instagram.com/MAKEUPPARISYANA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MAKEUPPARISYANA</a>
PRODUCER: ALEXANDRA LEMPERT @<a href="https://www.instagram.com/ALLLE.XANDRA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ALLLE.XANDRA</a>
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT: DINARA KOVALEVA @<a href="https://www.instagram.com/MAISONDINARA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MAISONDINARA</a>
POST PRODUCTION: VALERIA GRACHEVA @<a href="https://www.instagram.com/LERGRACHEVA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LERGRACHEVA</a>

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