LET'S GET PHYSICAL

LET'S GET PHYSICAL

PLAYMATE

Sweat it out with Shauna Sexton, our magnificent May Playmate

“I’m good at working under pressure.” Shauna Sexton isn’t referring to posing nude in front of the photographer’s lens.

The 22-year-old is a full-time veterinary technician, pulling 12-hour shifts at an emergency clinic that specializes in small-breed animals. “I started in this field when I was about 16,” she says. “After my first experience in surgery, I realized fast-paced work under pressure is for me. Whatever requires me to move quickly and freely is intriguing. I love surgery more than anything.”

Saving animals’ lives is her primary passion; modeling comes in a hard second. “I don’t classify myself as a model.

It’s so cliche nowadays for people to say, ‘I’m a model.’ Modeling is my plan B. If it takes off, I’ll be stoked.” Whatever she does, Shauna approaches it wholeheartedly, whether she’s working out (she gets up at five A.M. every day to hit the gym), taking her Labrador-bloodhound mix, Otis, to the beach (“even when it’s freezing”), or simply enjoying a meal. “I eat like an NFL linebacker,” she deadpans. “You can throw tacos in front of me along with a McDonald’s cheeseburger, and I will destroy it all.”

For Shauna, a former Navy kid who grew up within spitting distance of Chesapeake Bay, it’s all about striking a balance and being true to her curious and independent nature:

“I’m apretty realistic human being.” She is also “very much single,” as she puts it, and while she appreciates a man who cares about his body, maintenance of the mind is equally important. “I want someone who’s able to compromise but doesn’t sell himself short,” she says. “I appreciate people who are the truest forms of themselves and brutally honest about who they are.” Just don’t ask the spontaneous Shauna where she’ll be in a few years. “As long as I continue to grow as aperson, I’ll be where I need to be.”

DATASHEET

BIRTHPLACE: Virginia Beach, Virginia CURRENT CITY: Los Angeles, California

HELP!

I’m a vet tech. Animals truly depend on us. If we can’t help them, no one else can. There have been times in surgery when I felt that “Oh, fuck” moment. You work as hard and fast as you can to save their lives.

WHISKEY TRAIN

Whiskey, all day. I like to drink whiskey and soda, which makes some people cringe. I’ve been super into Bulleit lately, but then again, I’m poor and 22, so I’ll be like, “Give me Jameson! Give me Jack!”

GYM BUNNY

If I’m not working, I’m working out. My dad was a CrossFit coach, so I was raised on it. A lot of exercises I do are related to Olympic lifting, but I make modifications. I do high-interval training and incorporate cardio. I’ll do that in the

morning, then I’ll go to In-N-Out and not feel guilty at all.

FUNNY FACE TIME

Humor is so important. I need someone who can keep up with my sarcasm, or it’s just not going to work. I want to learn about you—with you in front of me, not through texting. Good food, good drinks and good conversation, and we can go from there.

SWEET EMOTION

Everyone tries to show no feelings nowadays, and I’m just not into that. When it comes to modern dating, everyone wants to be a tough guy. But we all feel, and it’s okay to be upset about things; just express it in an appropriate way.

GRUNGE GODDESS

I have a serious case of nostalgia. I was born in the late 1990s, so it’s

kind of inexcusable, but I am obsessed with grunge. I love Pearl Jam, Smashing Pumpkins, Stone Temple Pilots. I can freaking jam to 1990s music.

CATWALKS AND GAT DOGS

I really respect models and the people who hustle at it. It can be as stressful as the veterinary industry. Whatever’s important to you, figure it out. Just show up! If you’re working hard and making your money, I respect it.

LIVE YOUR LIFE

I have always lived in an impulsive mode. It may not be the best thing for me, but it has helped me figure out what I like and dislike. I’ve had to deal with a lot of shit in my life. I know a lot of people idolize other individuals, but you have to be able to be alone with yourself.

@shaunasexton