Photography: Ross Brownsdon
Back in 2008, at 23, Skye Boyland rocked the cover of DNA #97. Now, at 40, he’s as hot as ever, still winning Natural Bodybuilding competitions, and making us fall in love with him all over again.
DNA: You appeared on the cover of DNA #97 way back in 2008 and you still look awesome. What’s the secret?
Skye Boyland: A good lifestyle. It’s about having the fundamentals in place so you can still enjoy yourself. I don’t miss out on any of the fun stuff everyone else enjoys, but I stay true to the fundamentals, which are training, eating well and making sure I get enough sleep.
This new shoot is by Melbourne photographer Ross Brownsdon, who also shot the original story. How did that first shoot come about?
At the time, I was pursuing natural bodybuilding and had little interest in modelling, but a friend of a friend knew Andrew, the Editor, and teed it up. I thought, “Why not? Let’s do it!” It turned out to be a fantastic experience and only positive things came from it. I met lots of people and it gave me credibility for my business as a personal trainer.
What was the response to being on the cover when the magazine came out?
It was overwhelmingly positive. I’ve never had hang-ups about doing anything like that. I’m secure in who I am and I never expected to hear anything negative. Some people thought it strange that I was on the cover because I’m not gay but I’m a person, so why wouldn’t I do it?
Did it lead to some people assuming you were gay?
Not with my friends and family because they knew me but for some who didn’t, yes. Sometimes, when a person recognised me from the cover, the leading question was, “Are you gay?” And I’d think, “You didn’t read the article, did you?” They were funny moments, but they didn’t bother me.
Okay, so if you were gay, who would be your celebrity man crush?
Jeez, it’s hard to choose just one! [Laughing] I’d say Matthew McConaughey because he’s such a charmer. He’s a cool dude and he’s very fit. He also became very philosophical and esoteric in his later years. I’ve read his book Greenlights, which is great.
Do you have heaps of gay mates?
Heaps! The majority of my male PT clients are gay. I’ve trained some for many years and developed close friendships. For that question, I needed to pause and think because I sometimes forget who’s gay.
Have any guys developed a crush on you?
Maybe, but I think the way I conduct myself in my business is such that there’s a line never crossed. No one’s ever crossed it. I think it’s evident that I’m professional doing my job.
So you’ve probably been out to gay venues; any fun stories?
Yes! Many years ago, I was out with two close [straight] mates. We’d all just gone through rough breakups. We’d ordered a round of drinks in a bar and suddenly noticed one of our exes was working there! Then we saw another of the exes among a group of girls. We couldn’t believe what we’d walked into, so we found another bar and, believe it or not, I saw my ex in there. One of the guys joked that we should go to a gay bar, and I said, “Let’s do it!” So, we did, and we had the best time. The gay community took us in that night and listened to our sob stories. They cheered us up.
What song will always get you on the dancefloor?
Let Me Show You by K-Klass always gets me moving. I’m a sucker for that rave piano, and there’s such conviction behind those vocals. It has a massive ’90s euphoric vibe that cannot be ignored! I also love ’80s music, and Richard Marx will get me going, too. He’s still putting stuff out!
You’re well-known as a Natural Bodybuilder champion. Why did you choose to follow that road, compared to so many who use steroids?
I’m playing the long game. I’m not trying to get into the best possible shape just for one day a few months from now. I want to be fit and healthy my entire life. Having been around gyms and bodybuilding for a long time, I’m more aware now than I was back then. You can certainly look better for a short amount of time, but in the long term, I’ll win every time by keeping it natural.
And you recently turned 40.
Yes. I’d never worried about my age before but society tells me that 40 is a milestone number. I wanted to do something special, so I went away with my girlfriend, Nittaya, to Byron Bay for a week and I started thinking about competing again. One of my clients and good friend, Anthony, is the owner of Anytime Fitness. He turned 60 as I turned 40 and we’d talked about both competing together on stage in the Natural Bodybuilding Australia (NBA) Men’s Physique Australian Championship. I hadn’t been that motivated but, when I returned from holiday, something clicked and I went into razor-sharp focus. I didn’t expect to do as well as I did but I won the state title and the Australian title. It’s the biggest win I’ve had in my career! Wisdom beat youth! I’m super-pumped to have a crack again this year and possibly go international.
That’s a great example of motivation and determination that could be applied to pretty much anything.
Aside from knowing your craft, the real secret is focus. You must be one hundred per cent all in on the goal. You can’t do it when you’re juggling things in your life. You need to construct your lifestyle for a period that will allow it to happen. In the past you’ve said, “You can work hard to become the person you want to be.” The most important thing is clearly defining the goal. A lot of people create goals a long way into the future that are vague and there are too many outs. It becomes easy to move the goalposts. You need to clearly define a goal, then break it into chunks and take steps every day to tick off those mini-goals. One day you’ll wake up and find you’ve achieved your goal! There are always little setbacks, too, but don’t let them derail the plan. Those smaller goals send you in the right direction.
And congratulations are in order as you’ve also become engaged.
Thank you. I proposed the very next day after the DNA photoshoot! It felt like the final day of a long period of concerted effort for both of us, so to celebrate I booked a special dinner to toast our accomplishments. Nittaya didn’t know I had my grandmother’s ring and would propose to her on the sunset beach walk to the restaurant. Sharing that moment with her was one of the happiest experiences of my life.
Who’s your music diva?
To my ears, Whitney Houston’s voice is completely unmatched. There are many examples to support her GOAT status, such as the crescendos on Didn’t We Almost Have It All, and those high notes on I Will Always Love You. In more recent years Christine And The Queens has been a mainstay on my playlists. I discovered them through a DJ set by Jody Wisternoff back in 2018. It featured The Walker, which I instantly fell in love with. I can’t get enough of those crisp infectious vocals and the synth-heavy production. I don’t speak a word of French but somehow those French lyrics speak to me.
What have you been doing since that first DNA shoot?
I’ve been focused on my personal training business, Skyetrain. I run my personal training from a couple of Anytime Fitness gyms and I’m hiring staff for 2024. I’m also setting up a training app that my clients can use with some off-the-shelf programs and looking for a limited number to take part in an eight-week trial training program. I’m expecting a big year.
And your PT work has a big focus on nutrition, correct?
Yes, nutrition science is a big component and I wanted to understand that myself. It was like the last piece of the puzzle. Over the last few years, I’ve been able to refine a lot of the mistakes I was making back in 2008 and my clients are now benefiting from that.
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