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EXCLUSIVE COVER STORY PART 1: Annie LeBlanc

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EXCLUSIVE COVER STORY PART 1: Annie LeBlanc

“Nothing’s impossible – the word itself says I’m Possible”

At just 13 years old, Annie LeBlanc boasts an astonishing 362 million views on her personal YouTube channel. And that figure doesn’t even include views from her wildly successful acting debut, Chicken Girls, its prequel A Girl Named Jo, or her family’s Bratayley channel, which has amassed over 3.3 billion views since 2010.

However, Annie’s journey didn’t begin on social media; it started at a Mommy & Me gymnastics class in her home state of Maryland when she was two years old. “I always did it for fun, and just kept going and going,” she explains. “If I couldn’t make my cartwheel on the beam, I would stay until I made one. I was always really determined.”

The words of Annie’s beam coach, Miss Kim, helped build that determination. “Every time I would get frustrated with a skill, she always said to me, ‘Nothing’s impossible. The word itself says, I’m Possible. You can do it!’”

Annie’s hard work would eventually help her achieve Level 9 status. If you aren’t familiar with the world of gymnastics, this would be the same rank reached by Olympic gold medalists Simone Biles and Laurie Hernandez when they were Annie’s age.

To us, that’s way more impressive than how many followers she has on Instagram. “My parents put me on YouTube, not to get famous, but so my family members could watch me do gymnastics, and it just kind of grew from there. A lot of people think they have to become something on the Internet and make sure they’re getting this certain amount of likes,” says Annie. “But you shouldn’t be worrying about how many likes you’re getting because that’s really not who you are. It’s really not that important. You just need to make sure that you’re good on the inside.”

After nearly a decade of doing gymnastics, Annie realized that it wasn’t making her feel good anymore. “It just kind of became too much stress,” she explains.

“I decided to move on and now I’m having so much more fun.”

That’s because Annie’s discovered a new passion: acting. “My first role ever was in Chicken Girls,” she shares. “I was a nervous wreck. I didn’t know if I was going to be able to do it. The first two days were really stressful, but on the third day, I was like, ‘Wow this is so much fun!’ Once I got used to everything happening, it was just amazing and I wanted to go every day. I told the director, even if I’m not needed, call me in and I’ll just sit here and watch!”

And now, millions of people are watching Annie in Chicken Girls and A Girl Named Jo, and she’s happier than ever. “My advice for someone who really wants to discover their passion is to try something new every day,” she shares. “Like one day do arts and crafts, another day go to a soccer game. You don’t even have to play, just watch. And if you love it, keep doing it. And if you stop, move onto something else that you love. Don’t give all your time to something that you don’t really like because then you won’t be able to actually achieve your dreams.”

Stay tuned for Part 2 of Annie’s exclusive cover story and photo shoot, where we uncover her musical side and she reveals her thoughts on what beautiful means.

CREDITS:
Photos by Joe Magnani
Styling by Robiat Balogun
Hair by Sabrina Porsche
Makeup by Marlaine Reiner
Special thanks to Megan Trevino at Status PR
STYLING CREDITS:
1) Red Outfit
Jacket/Skirt by Topshop @topshop
Shirt by Cadieux @cadieux_official
Hair Pins by Tarina Tarantino @tarinatarantino
Earrings by Nissa Jewelry @nissajewelry
Scarf (as belt) by Talbots @talbotsofficial
Boots by Dr. Martens @drmartensofficial
2) Poolside
Shirt by Asos @asos_us
Belt by Melamed @melamedbelts
Jeans by Janey Lopaty Vintage @janeylopatypr
Shoes by Dolce Vita @dolcevita
Hair Pins by Tarina Tarantino @tarinatarantino
Sunglasses by Perverse @perversesunglasses
Necklaces by Lulu DK @luludk_lifestyle
3) On Rollerskates
Chicago Women’s Classic Roller Skates by NSG Products
Dress by Asos @asos_us
Ring & Bracelets byTarina Tarantino @tarinatarantino
Gloves by David’s Bridal @davidsbridal
Shirt by Petersyn @petersyn_clothing

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