Tyra was tall, skinny and awkward as an adolescent although it might be hard to believe. She was constantly teased by her brother and her classmates, and often ran home crying to her mother. But late into her high school years everything changed. Tyra filled out her skinny frame, began to workout and finally decided to become a model. She ran into that goal with the determination that now marks all of her activities.
Tyra finally signed with Elite Model Management at age 17 after being turned down by four modeling agencies because they didn't think she was photogenic. She had her foot on the catwalks and she was ready to push right on through. Behind beginning her new year at Loyola Marymount College, Tyra moved to Paris for a year and modeled for many of the big names in fashion, including Ralph Lauren and Chanel.Then, she moved back to the United States and continued modeling, rocketing her way up through the ranks.