Living Between Fashion and Epilepsy

Thomas Mezger never planned on becoming a model. For much of his early life, his focus was on sport, education, and managing a body that often felt unpredictable. Modelling entered his world almost by accident in his late teens, when a photographer invited him into a studio for a test shoot. He agreed with little expectation, and from that moment doors began to open. At the same time, Thomas was learning how to live and work with epilepsy in an industry defined by image, pressure, and perfection.

Born in Sydney, Thomas left Australia at the age of three when his father accepted a job in Singapore. His childhood unfolded across international schools in Singapore and Hong Kong, shaped largely by American-based education systems. That upbringing exposed him to multiple cultures and languages and strongly influenced how he communicates and connects with others. His accent shifts depending on who he is with, reflecting a life spent adapting to different environments. He speaks Mandarin, some Spanish, and German, and language has long been a bridge for understanding people quickly and intuitively.

Over the years, Thomas has worked with brands such as Calvin Klein, Givenchy, Karl Lagerfeld, Venroy, and David Jones, walked Australian Fashion Week, and appeared in international runway shows, including one in his hometown of Hong Kong. A modelling career spanning around fifteen years is rare, particularly in Australia. He attributes that longevity to determination, resilience, and his ability to build rapport. In a highly competitive global industry, he believes connection and trust are just as important as appearance.

Behind the scenes, Thomas’s life has always been shaped by epilepsy. At eighteen months old, he was diagnosed with meningitis and meningococcal disease and nearly lost his life. A few years later, he began experiencing seizures. During childhood, medication allowed him to live relatively normally, but everything shifted during adolescence as his body changed and treatments stopped working. Doctors entered years of trial and error, and school became increasingly difficult. Stress could trigger seizures, and seizures brought memory loss, exhaustion, and confusion. Isolation followed, along with a sense of being misunderstood by those who could not see what he was dealing with.

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Rozz Switzer: Three Decades of Connection on Television

Building a career in television was never something that happened overnight for Rozz. It began in high school in Brisbane, when her mother enrolled her in a June Dally-Watkins deportment course during the school holidays. What started as lessons in etiquette quickly opened the door to modelling, performance, and an industry Rozz immediately felt drawn to. Learning how to walk, be photographed, and attend auditions sparked an early ambition that would shape the next three decades of her life.

Rozz went on to study at a Centre of Artistic Development, focusing on music, dance, and drama, while simultaneously working in commercials and modelling roles for brands such as Speedo and Japanese catalogues. After finishing school, she attended university and completed a degree in education with a focus on drama, film, and television, following her parents’ advice to secure a reliable fallback career. During this time, she also picked up acting roles in Australian soap operas filmed on the Gold Coast, gaining valuable experience on professional sets.

Despite those opportunities, Rozz quickly realised acting was not where she felt most comfortable. The instability of the work and the heavy emphasis on appearance did not align with her long-term goals. That clarity arrived just as she auditioned for an Ab Roller advertorial filmed alongside Bert Newton. Securing that role became a turning point, with regular flights between Brisbane and Sydney to record multiple advertisements in a single day. It was here that Rozz found her niche in direct response television

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A Celebration of Christmas and Culture.

Podcasters Mary #01 - Dani #10 - Scott #16 - Adriana #20 celebrate Christmas 2025.

Our panel of podcasters share how they celebrate Christmas and how their personal cultural upbringing has shaped the way we celebrate Christmas today.

The anthem 'i am Australian' original by The Seekers, resonates in this dialogue as to how Australia is a blend of many cultures and how fortunate we are to have these influences blending to form our own 'Äustralian' version of the 'Christmas Cracker'.

Wishing Everyone a very Safe and Merry Christmas 2025 and a Happy, Healthy, Prosperous New Year.

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