The man whose photos you’re about to peruse used to be unfit and overweight. He also wasn’t very good at sports, and tended to get sickly. As you can clearly see, dreams do come true.
“I suffered a lot when I was younger,” says Jose Ruiz, the 22-year-old Medellin, Columbia, native and GuySpy’s Man for November. “I could barely run. I was out of breath. I suffered from bronchitis. I was at the doctor every month. When I started fitness it was really just to get healthier; not to get sick all the time, and to compete in sports.”
The non-steroid fan continues: “I realized that once you eat right and do things properly, you can still have an image, but more important, you can still have health.”
For Jose, working out and looking good are the means to a healthy lifestyle end. “The fitness industry is getting exploited,” he says. “I’m trying to sell health-conscious tips. I know that if I get my name out there with the modeling, people will want to know what I eat. It takes longer to develop your physique but there are no consequences. Twenty years from now you won’t suffer from heart disease.”
But we might get our hearts broken. Jose is newly married to a woman and now resides in West Palm, Florida, where he’s been educated quickly on having gay admirers.
“I noticed that the most loyal and the best followers are gay men,” says Jose, sounding so shy you’d never know he’s seen the inside of a jockstrap. “And also the most respectful. I have a few women who reach out, but they are mostly stuck-up. The gay men say ‘Keep up the hard work,’ ‘Congratulations.’ I’m just happy for the attention and for the love.”
Jose also says that his experiences in modern-day Florida have helped shape his views on gays. “I wasn’t exposed to gay people at a young age,” he says. “I didn’t know what was going on at nine years old in Columbia… it’s much more biased.”
“In the past few years, people have become less-biased. We have learned to respect each other. We value each other for who we are.”
Jose is new to modeling, and humorously sums up the mindset of us mere mortals. “I think most people think models are shallow,” he laughs. “I see models who are dumb and I see others who are shallow, who don’t want to hang out with you if you’re not good-looking.”
“Some people try and look at others to find the weaknesses, to make themselves feel better,” says Jose. “Everyone is talented; we all have something to offer. Each one of us provides a service to society; we all just have to love what we do.”
We couldn’t agree more, Jose, and we thank you for providing a wonderful service to readers everywhere. Hope you love your job as much as we love looking at the finished product.
For more information on Jose Ruiz, follow him on Facebook.
