Valerie van der Graaf is your Rookie No. 9

Rebecca Shore | Feb 11, 2014

Over the next two weeks SwimDaily will be releasing the identities of the record-high 12 rookies picked to carry the Swimsuit franchise into its next 50 years. Check back every day at 2 p.m. ET for a new reveal!

* * *

Another Rookie birthday! Meet Valerie van der Graaf

Valerie van der Graaf :: Photo by Raphael Mazzucco/SI | Swimsuit by Ola Vida

* * *

Valerie van der Graaf | 22 (just now!) | Rotterdam, Netherlands

I was discovered on Hyves which is a social network site just like Facebook, but only in Holland. There are agencies that go online more and more because not everyone is outside walking around the city. I got a private message, showed it to my mom and we called the agency back. I went for a test shoot and that was that, I was signed. At my first shoot I was 15 and quite scared. I went there with my mom. I found it all quite funny. I was giggling. It was all very strange. I didn’t know how to pose in front of the camera. They kept asking me to look angry, less sweet.

MORE VALERIE: Twitter | Instagram | Supreme Models page

* * * * * * * * *

No. 8 Lily Aldridge | No. 7 Samantha Hoopes | No. 6 Lauren Mellor | No 5. Marloes Horst | No 4. Hannah Ferguson | No. 3 Emily Ratajkowski | No. 2 Gigi Hadid | No. 1 Sara Sampaio