Celebrity Role Models
By fourformom | Leave A Comment

Celebrity role models, that’s an oxy-moron if I’ve ever heard one! Am I right?!

I hesitate to give you a list of celebrity role models because next thing you know, I have to retract my list because of their actions (*cough… cough* Tiger Woods, Britney Spears…). So take this list with the caveat that a role model is only as good as their next scandal…

Dara Torres

This 5-time Olympic swimmer is also a mother, model and successful author. In 2008, Torres showed the world that age doesn’t matter, when she became the oldest woman (41-years-old at the time) to compete as an Olympic swimmer … and she won 3 silver medals.

Paula Deen

While her recipes may not always be the healthiest of dishes, the fact that she overcame severe agoraphobia to start her own catering business, become a successful restaurant owner and one of the most popular celebrity chef’s in the country earns her a spot on this list.

J.K. Rowling

JK Rowling

She wrote that series of books about the orphan wizard boy… what was his name again…? Rowling’s story is noteworthy not just because of the epic success of the Harry Potter franchise but because a few short years prior to the first book being published she was struggling to feed and clothe herself and her infant daughter. Now she is one of the most successful authors of all time and a very busy philanthropist – not to mention one of the wealthiest women in the United Kingdom.

Emma Watson

Let’s add in one more mega-star from the Harry Potter franchise. Being one of the wealthiest young actresses in the world hasn’t deterred Watson from going to college and just maintaining her integrity in general. After a brief hiatus to attend to her commitments with the latest Harry Potter movie, she will be back at Brown University, slated to complete her degree in 2012. This is an actress who I think, in real life, might just be very much like the character she’s playing.

Taylor Swift

I originally wrote her off as just another pop star until my kids *forced* me to watch a television special following her on tour. She seems to be an incredibly bright and talented young lady (I sound like my mother now), who has managed to balance superstardom without getting bogged down by sex, drugs and alcohol. That plus the positive message her songs send to young girls scores big points with her fans’ parents.

Tara Stiles

She’s queen of a new generation of yoga gurus. Stiles uses social media to spread her message of healthy living and eating – making it cool for young kids to care about their health again. She’s partnered with Jane Fonda (young kids might not remember the impact Fonda had on fitness, but that’s neither here nor there) and she is Spiritual Leader, Deepak Chopra’s yoga instructor. Namaste Tara.

Demi Lovato

Lovato earned her fame thanks to the Disney Channel and after a stint in treatment this year, she has been very open about her battle with an eating disorder. Since beginning recovery she has started using her voice to educate people on eating disorders and what it means to understand your worth. As a contributing editor for Seventeen Magazine she regularly posts positive messages and her advice on ignoring the pressure to be perfect for her young fans. Her song “Skyscraper” has become an anthem for young girls battling insecurities of any kind.

Reese Witherspoon

Wholesome is the first word that comes to mind when anyone mentions Witherspoon. She’s just good people. Mother of 2 and critically-acclaimed actress, Witherspoon has been in Hollywood for quite some time – her first lead role was in 1991’s, The Man in the Moon and she hasn’t stopped since. In 2005, she won an Academy Award for her role as June Carter Cash in Walk the Line. Witherspoon donates her time and money to mutliple charitable organizations, including the Avon Foundation and the Children’s Defense Fund.

Jennifer Garner

The word wholesome applies to this lovely lady as well. She’s an active mother of two with one on the way and happily married to actor Ben Affleck. Garner has managed to stay out of the Hollywood trap of fame and fortune and live a relatively down-to-earth life – and anyone who’s read a gossip magazine knows she’s a regular at the farmer’s market. She’s also an ambassador for Save the Children, a charity who works to change the lives of children living in poverty throughout the world.

Last but not least….

Oprah Winfrey

Love her or hate her, you cannot deny that this woman has created an impressive empire. Winfrey overcame her meager beginnings, troubled childhood and sexual molestation to become one of the most influential women in the U.S. Her talk show ran for 25 years – but she wasn’t done yet. She has created her own television network, aptly named, OWN – The Oprah Winfrey Network. She continues to be an impressive philanthropist as well as trying to teach her viewers and fans how to “live their best life.”

Are there any Celebrity role models that you look up to and admire?