SHAUN PELAYO
"I'm willing to die for it. I'm willing to bleed for it. I'm willing to get into the mud for it. I'd rather die like a lion than live like a sheep."
Growing up
Looking back, Shaun believes got his work ethic from his mother. One of 13, she had to raise her siblings after her mother passed away. Once she had a family of her own, she moved from the Philippines to a small town in Cornwall and got a job on the second day of being in the UK.
At times, Shaun grappled with his identity. He felt like a minority both in the UK and when visiting family in the Phillippines and wasn't quite sure where he fit in.
To take his mind off of things, he fell in love with football. Playing at every opportunity and being part of several teams. He eventually tried and fell in love with; the game he says changed his whole life.
After playing basketball all throughout school and college he wanted to go to the best university for it so that he could live out his dream of playing professionally. He went to Worcester and put himself to work, training at least three times per day. However, he was getting frustrated at never quite making the top squad.
One summer, the coach from the Plymouth Raider's basketball team asked him to join them on their professional team. He was amazed to see the kind of treatment players recieved there. But about two weeks in to what he thought was living out his dream, he realised it wasn't everything he wanted. This realisation made him question his identity once again. In his mind he was a professional basketball player but he felt he had to leave that behind.
“I'M GOING TO BE THE FIRST PELAYO TO OWN A HOUSE"
MOVING UP
While working and figuring out what he wanted to do next he soul searched for his purpose. He saw someone on TV that had a similar background to him and thought, "I could do that, but better".
For the following four years, he would spend his time networking every single day. Messaging brands and photographers to help grow his modelling skills and personal brand. After lockdown, he was booked for a campaign with a well-known brand and he really felt like he was getting somewhere. Agencies and brands would come to him for work. Finally, he reached his goal to be on a billboard in his own city.
Now, Shaun sees basketball as therapy. Alongside a life coach, he's learnt the skills and discipline he needed to reach his goals as an actor and model.
You can follow Shaun's journey o his Instagram, TikTok, and website.