12:00a.m. 4th September 2008

| Roxanne McKarty-O'Kane

Hannah McCarthy of Mooloolaba is a finalist in the Channel Seven TV show, Make Me a Supermodel 2008. Photo: contributed.

Photo Gallery: Model Hannah McCarthy

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She has already battled the winter weather to promote summer clothing and posed next to fresh seafood in a processing plant, but the challenges have just begun for top 14 Make Me a Supermodel finalist Hannah McCarthy.

The former Mountain Creek High School student successfully impressed the Channel 7 reality show’s judges to avoid nomination for elimination this week.

“It’s great to be safe in the first week of the competition, just being able to steer clear of elimination is a huge personal development thing,” she said.

“It’s been really good, one of the best experiences of my life, but the first week has been like an absolute emotional rollercoaster for me because I’m a strong person but I realised I’m quite fragile at the same time.”

Hannah moved into a Sydney mansion with 13 other finalists two weeks ago and said the emotional challenges had far outweighed those of a physical nature.

“I am missing my mum and dad,” the 19-year-old admitted.

“I was lucky it was my mum’s birthday recently so I have been in touch with her once, but my boyfriend lives up in Cairns and I haven’t been able to speak to him at all, or dad either, and I used to speak to them at least 10 times a day, so it’s a huge shock for me not to be speaking to them.”

But Hannah knows all about sacrifice. She left home at 17 and moved to Sydney to pursue her modelling career.

“This is my absolute dream and I realise you have to sacrifice some things,” Hannah said.

She has found solace in new friendships in the house, forming close bonds with roommates Sheridan Seekamp, Kassandra Zandt and Brooke Greentree.

“I have made some really good friendships in here, haven’t known these girls and boys for a long time but some of them have become better friends to me than people on the outside,” she said.

“But the biggest thing I have probably learnt is no matter how honest you are as a person, you’ve got to keep things to yourself because you have to remember that these boys and girls are your competition and you don’t want to be giving anyone else a heads-up.”

Although the housemates are some of the country’s most beautiful, Hannah said 17-year-old Shenina Shaik will definitely be her toughest competition.

“She doesn’t take a bad photo and has got a beautiful catwalk, but it just motivates me and drives me to work harder,” she said.

Hannah said if she didn’t take out the reality show’s ultimate prize, she knew this would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be critiqued and trained by the best in the industry.

“I know most of the ladies in Australia think we are the luckiest girls alive to have so much interaction with (male supermodel and show judge) Tyson Beckford,” she said.

“I hope to gain some personal development and a little bit of exposure as well.

“I have been modelling for last couple of years and have had some professional training, but this is my opportunity to fine tune everything my own strong sense of style.”