A Sobering Tale

Australian supermodel Jessica Hart long lived the champers-soaked Euro-party girl lifestyle, but a month ago she marked a year of sobriety. Here, she explains why there’s no going back

I STARTED DRINKING AT 13. I was a rebellious child, always up to no good, wagging school constantly to smoke weed in the park.

When I was given the opportunity to model at 14, it was a blessing. The industry instilled in me a responsibility — it was an authority I listened to. When modelling progressed to a point where

I needed to travel overseas at 15, the decision to let me go or finish school was an easy one for Mum. Ship her off!

I was catapulted into a thriving, hectic industry. The first few years were really about working, and I was totally focused. But as it all became comfortable and I entered a relationship and moved to New York, I started having fun!

In this industry, even the most successful models don’t work every day. If I didn’t have work for a few days, I could go out, proudly drink most people under the table and come home as the sun was rising. It wasn’t as if I needed to drink every day, but when I did, I didn’t stop. A few drinks didn’t interest me. I was ‘go hard or go home’. And home was never the answer. I never blacked out or was that girl staggering around. I was having fun, travelling to Europe, partying in Ibiza and Mykonos. But in my late twenties I started to feel, This is getting old. I always knew there was more to ‘me’. And to life.

One morning, when I was in my early thirties, I finally pulled the plug. I just woke up one morning and said, This is it. I wanted to look after myself. ‘My body is a temple’ is a saying I once would have laughed at, but I wanted to respect this vessel that is taking me through life. I’d put it through so much and it was time to give back.