Kayko's Story: The Model Who's Never Been Happier
"The favorite thing about getting older is that I can fully enjoy life more."
Kakyo has been a model for the last 27 years. She wasn’t always healthy. She wasn’t always happy with who she was.
But since then, everything has changed.
Now, she’s happier than she’s ever been. She’s happy with her body, her career, her family, her boyfriend and the fact that she now eats carbs.
She’s even happy with the idea that she’s a happy woman at this age.
Do you agree with her? Are you happier than ever at your current age too? If so, we’d love to hear about it in the comments after you watch this video.
Video Transcript:
My first name is Kayko. I am 49-years-young.
I did not lead a very good life at 29. I was a model in New York, partying out late and doing silly things. I wasn't taking care of my body. I wasn't eating right.
And now, as you get older, you wanna eat right. You wanna drink eight glasses of water a day. You want to exercise. I used to hate exercising, now I love it. It gives me so much energy and it gives me a great start to the day, so I really have changed a lot.
I'm not a fruit person. I really don't like fruit, but I make it a part of my diet. I make eating carbs part of my diet. I used to be terrified of carbs.
When you're modeling, they're like “don't eat carbs, don't eat bread, you have to stay under 120 pounds.”
You know what, I'm 130 and I've never been happier. I have a little booty now, I have boobs now and I have a nice shape and I feel good about myself. I feel much more in my body than I did. Yeah, much happier.
And let me tell you, I don't wanna be 29 again. I can't wait til 50, I'm gonna have the biggest party in the entire world and celebrate it.
Everyone is so into the selfie thing and getting rid of these lines and looking like you're perfect. And you know what? I did notice that at about 35 and it freaked me out. I was like, "Okay, I'm gonna get surgery, I'm gonna get rid of it." And then my mom is like, "Why would you do that? That's something that you should be proud of, you have laugh lines, you've laughed your life... I mean, you're a happy girl, why get rid of something like that?" I mean, I know some people wanna do it, that's fine, good for them.
I personally like my laugh lines now, it gives me character.
When you get older, you get more confident in yourself and that makes you happier. I know that when I was in my 20s I picked my body apart. I hated my hips, I hated my stomach, I really wanted to have a flat stomach, I really wanted to be taller. I've just kind of embraced the fact that this is me, and this is the way I'm gonna be, and I'm gonna be really happy. I have a loving family, and I have a new boyfriend, and I am happier now than I think I've ever been. And that's really hard to say at 49, so I'm really darn proud of myself.
I don't have kids. I think now that I've gotten a little bit older and I still feel good about myself, I still feel young, I'm considering adopting and I'm considering adopting a child here. I know everyone wants to adopt a child in another country, but I see so many kids here that need love and so that's something I'm considering. I don't think I would have considered that before.
You have to be beautiful within yourself. I find myself beautiful, because I see my mom and my mom is gorgeous and she's happy and she's 74. I've never seen someone so happy in her life, happy in her body, happy with her husband that she's been with for 52 years. That's what I wanted and you know what? There's still a chance I could get that and that's what to me makes beauty. My mom makes me feel beautiful all the time, all the time. She's called me three times today.
Well, she told me not to be a model. She told me it was too hard, she told me I was too short. She said go to college, and you know what? I did. I went to college, I got a degree and I'm so glad I did that because I became a model from 22 to now. I don't think I would have been able to do that if I didn't have a college degree, and use my mind and not use my body.
And to be smart with my money and to travel and experience all that beautiful stuff. I mean, you get to travel as a model and how many people can do that in their lifetime? I just think it's something great and college was just the defining moment for me and I thank her for that because I was coming to New York, like at 17. I was like," I'm gonna be a model. Wilhelmina wants me and I'm going." And she's like, "No you're not." So yeah, my mom's been a really positive influence and I'm not leaving out my dad it's just me and my mom we're super close.
I think that I'm gonna probably work more because I'm gonna love being 49 more. I was masking it for a while. I kinda wanted to sneak into that 35-40 category. I'm not gonna do that anymore.
I can go out and eat pasta now, that makes me happy. I can go to Joe's Pizza on Carmine Street, that makes me happy.
Just being a woman and being a happy woman at 49 is happiness to me.
Video Highlights:
0:05 Unhealthy lifestyle at 29 vs. 49
0:16 Now she eats carbs and exercises
0:45 Happier now in her body than ever
0:57 Why she can’t wait for 50
1:04 Who talked her out of plastic surgery
1:35 Age brings confidence and happiness
2:09 Now, she’s considering adoption
2:31 Her 74-year-old Mom inspires her beauty
3:03 “Don’t be a model, go to college.”
3:55 What makes her happy right now