An ordinary snap of a “small town girl” enjoying a night out at a club in far north Queensland has Australians across the country claiming the teenager should be a model.
Murri woman Ryli Johnson traveled to Townsville with her boyfriend Tyreice Baira Gela and some friends for a weekend getaway.
The group was enjoying a night out Saturday at The Bank nightclub when the club’s photographer casually snapped a photo of the 19-year-old and her boyfriend.
Ryli said she didn’t really like the photo of the smiling couple, which was shared on the club’s Facebook page.
Some social media users said her boyfriend Tyreice looked like Melbourne Storm NRL winger Xavier Coates.
However, the photo racked up a slew of comments from Australians who were baffled by Ryli’s “natural” beauty, with many claiming she should pursue a modeling career.
Murri woman Ryli Johnson was pictured with her boyfriend Tyreice Baira Gela at The Bank nightclub in Townsville.
“Sign her with a modeling agency, she’s so naturally beautiful,” one commented.
‘She is the very definition of beauty. Someone record it,” wrote a second person.
‘Tell me this girl models professionally. She is beautiful,” a third chimed in.
A fourth added: “She should pursue a career in modeling as she is naturally beautiful inside and out.”
Ryli, originally from the rural town of Moree in north-west New South Wales, told Daily Mail Australia the reaction to her photo was one of surprise.
“I don’t really wear makeup, but that night I just didn’t wear anything and the guy asked me if he could take a photo of us, not thinking it was going to be published,” Ryli said.
“It just started blowing up and my mom showed me all the comments and I was like, ‘What the hell?’
‘Like I was just a little black girl from a small town in Moree and to have all these people from the big city commenting that I should be a model, I didn’t expect anything. She’s just crazy.’
Social media users were stunned by the 19-year-old’s “natural” beauty, with many claiming she should pursue a modeling career.
Ryli, originally from the small rural area of Moree in north-west New South Wales, said the response was “overwhelming”.
Ryli currently lives with her father in Port Macquarie and is considering moving to Brisbane if her application for a job with Qantas as a customer service agent is successful.
Growing up, Ryli said some people had mentioned that she considered modeling, but the comments were made in passing and she dismissed them as a joke.
However, the teenager said the reaction to her photo has given her the “drive” and confidence to potentially pursue a modeling career.
“It’s given me a lot to think about and I feel like if I were to go into modeling,” Ryli said.
‘The comments have given me a bit of a boost and I might like it or it might even be a career change for me.’
Ryli said her father even made a comparison to Victoria’s Secret model Miranda Kerr, who grew up in the rural New South Wales town of Gunnedah, just a two-hour drive from Moree.
If given the chance, Ryli said she would “jump at the chance” and “definitely give it a try.”
She added that one of her motivations if she worked as a model would be to inspire other young First Nations and Indigenous girls to achieve their dreams.
“I would definitely shout out to people in my home community that there are definitely opportunities for us black girls,” Ryli said.
‘Anyone can do it. It’s possible, you know what I mean? For example, don’t stop dreaming, you will achieve it if you leave the customs of your small town and go big.
“I always wanted to make a difference in my home community because there is a lot of violence, everyone is under the influence of drugs and alcohol and the crime rate is just ridiculous.”
Ryli said she would “definitely” consider a career in modeling if given the opportunity and would use the platform to inspire other young Indigenous and First Nations girls.
The teen explained that she was grateful for all the lovely comments and was shocked because she was just a “small town” girl.
The extent of Ryli’s modeling career to date occurred when she was 12 years old and her mother entered her into an Aboriginal model search competition, which her cousin won.
She explained that her cousin was able to work with Gomeroi Indigenous fashion designer, Aunt Colleen Tighe Johnson, and even went to New York Fashion Week.
Last year, Ryli and his brother Bayli traveled to Ireland for the ITF Tag Team World Cup in Ireland.
They both won a bronze medal, Ryli as part of the Australian Indigenous Oztag under-21 women’s team and Bayli as part of the Rest of the World Alliance under-21 men’s team.