By Marty Roberson
Photo: Jason Ellis/Damon Moss

Tell me about your mode ling and ho w you got into it ? I just returned from overseas and was relaxing in a D.C. hotel lobby bar with some fellow soldiers when an agent approached me and asked if I was a model. Two weeks later, on my day off, I was in NYC doing a test photo shoot that ultimately got me on the cover of Muscle and Fitness Magazine. I really enjoyed modeling and I liked the challenge of always having to be in shape and on target. Having a year left in my commitment to the military, I began to fly to NY, LA, and Miami on my days off for shoots, slowly making a natural segue from the military to modeling. Modeling led to acting and eventually, I moved to LA. Recently, I was named the top male fitness model in America by Ironman Magazine, with more covers than anyone in the last three years. I was also recognized by Men’s Fitness Magazine as one of the “25 Fittest Americans.” I have also landed global campaigns for fragrance companies (Theirry Mugler’s Angel Men and Ice Men), athletic sponsorships with MET-Rx engineered nutrition, spokesperson and model for many companies including Under Armor Performance Apparel, and countless editorial and catalog work in magazines such as GQ, Men’s Health and Maxim. Tell me about your se rvice expe rience ? I graduated from West Point Academy, was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant and immediately went into training as an Army Ranger Officer (Airborne, Air Assault, Close Quarters combat, Combat Life Saver, Scuba training, Survival training, all weapon training, etc). My first tour, I was stationed in Korea as a Platoon Leader, responsible for forty soldiers, on foreign soil and in a very hostile environment all at the age of 22. I was active for five years and spent time on domestic ground as well as overseas. I cannot say enough about being a soldier and officer in the Army. To take a person, train them, coach them, be accountable for them and then create a cohesive unit ready for battle was incredible. The fact that soldiers are willing to shed their own blood for the soldier to either side of them is simply surreal. There is no higher honor than being the commander of such amazing Americans. I left the service as a Company Commander and Captain in the U.S. Army and although I don’t miss the job all that much, I will forever miss the soldiers, my brothers in life. I was blessed to have them in my life. Tell me what you en joy about the sho w? Designed to Sell was particularly interesting for me because I really enjoy carpentry and woodworking. Prior to the show, I bought three homes that I remodeled myself and sold. When I started the show, I had just purchased a home in LA, and having the expertise and connections that the show provided while remodeling my newest adventure proved to be not only convenient but also very cost effective. Many weekends I would have the cast over to the house for a cookout while we tore down walls in my home and started to rebuild. The camaraderie of the show was second to none; I learned so many carpentry skills from them and had so much fun just being on the set. The cast members of the show started as co-workers, but quickly became close friends and eventually almost like a family for me. As for Workout, training people is something I have always done and done well. To take someone that has low self-esteem due to their physical appearance and help transform them into someone with confidence is an extremely humbling experience that motivates and inspires me. Being a trainer on Workout allowed me to do this; I could have done without some of the drama, though. For me, both shows were simply a view of who I am. I never played a character I had to act out, as I am a trainer and carpenter/woodworker in real life. Tell me about your ed ucation at West Point ? West Point was an experience I will forever cherish but would never want to go through again. It was one of the most difficult experiences of my life, but it was a key factor in developing me into the person I am today. The challenges I faced at the academy makes real life seem easy. Looking back, that lesson was the most valuable lesson of my life. I was offered several full-ride wrestling scholarships after high school (twotime high school All-American and state champion), but after seeing my sister return from her first year at the Naval Academy, I knew what I wanted to do. I saw first hand how the Academy transformed her and realized that the military was the tool I needed to become the person I wanted to be. When you go through hell with someone and spill blood, sweat, and tears, you form a bond that quickly revamps itself from friend to family. You grow up quick at the Academy and you quickly learn what the words integrity, honor and character truly mean. Tell me who inspi res you? Who motivated you into fitness ? I have to be totally honest here and say I owe everything I have ever accomplished and the person I am to my supportive, loving and caring family. My parents, without a doubt, are the cornerstones in everything I have done and will ever do. They have always been there for me in every way, and have given me the opportunity and confidence to try anything. They are my best friends, greatest fans, my disciplinarians, my foundation and inner strength. I wouldn’t have achieved a fraction of what I have if it wasn’t for their solid upbringing. I can only hope to be half the person my mom and dad are when I enter fatherhood. As for what motivated me into fitness, it was my father saying, “If you are going to do something, why not do it better than anyone.” I can remember countless evenings where my dad was with me on the athletic fields until the sun went down, training me. And he was there by my side for every game, match or athletic competition. I am so blessed to have been born in such an amazing family. They are the ones that have always inspired me to be the best I can be and still encourage me to push it to the limit.