From Italy’s high-velocity fame to Australia’s longest-running fashion contract, Megan Gale reveals why she shifted from modelling sprints to intentional longevity.
Megan Gale will speak live at the sold-out Forbes Australia Women’s Summit presented by Lancome in Sydney on May 6, 2026. Tap here to view the final lineup.
Long before she was an international icon, Megan Gale was a kid with dirt under her fingernails. Growing up on the sandy fringes of Perth, she spent her days competing with her older brothers to see who could climb the highest or catch the fastest goanna in the local bush.
Fast forward 20 years, and the girl from Parmelia had a calendar defined by multiple time zones, outfit changes, and passport stamps.
For Gale, that period of acceleration was more concentrated than most. In the early 2000s, the dark-haired beauty became an Italian household name after appearing in a television commercial for telecommunications company Omnitel, now known as Vodafone Italy.
She became instantly recognisable, frequently mobbed by Italian fans, and set a new benchmark for Australian talent abroad. But as she reflects on a journey that was “fast-paced, competitive, and at times actually really quite isolating,” she admits that that velocity was never intended to be permanent.
“There wasn’t one dramatic moment to be honest, it was more a slow accumulation,” Gale says of the realisation that her output was exceeding her internal resources. “Years of constantly moving, working across time zones, saying yes to everything, and not really stopping to check in with myself.”
It is a narrative familiar to many executive leaders: the point where the drive for external validation hits a wall of physical and mental depletion. “Up until that point, I equated [success] with being busy and constantly in demand,” Gale tells Forbes Australia. “That was the turning point. I realised sustainability had to come first, because without your health and your energy, none of it is meaningful.”
From Italy’s Omnitel to Australian ambassador
While Italy provided the initial momentum, it was Gale’s partnership with David Jones that solidified her value in the Australian modelling market. She signed on as an ambassador in 2001, and reupped the partnership over the next 14 years, making it Australia’s longest-serving fashion contract between a model and a brand.
The move comes on the heels of Gale’s 50th birthday and a shift in how she views and prioritises longevity.
“There’s a confidence that comes with this stage of life, you’re less concerned with external validation and more focused on what actually matters to you. I feel more grounded, more selective, and more appreciative of my time and energy,” she says.
Recently married to her long-term partner Shaun Hampson, and mum to two kids under 12, Gale says she is much more focused on sustainability than she was in her early-20s.
“Earlier in my career, movement was often tied to aesthetics or maintaining a certain look. Now it’s much more about functionality with things like strength, mobility, and overall wellbeing. I want to feel strong, capable, and energised, not depleted.”
This shift in priorities is less about doing more, and more about “embracing a more authentic, less “perfect” version of myself” she says, calling that perspective freeing.
Rather than focusing on “anti-ageing”, her philosophy leans into “pro-ageing.”
“Ageing isn’t something to fight, it’s something to understand and move through with intention. It’s about taking care of yourself, investing in your health, and embracing the changes rather than resisting them. There’s a lot of beauty in that,” she explains.
As she navigates this latest chapter of a life spent in the public eye, Gale has become increasingly selective, filtering out the “external noise” of expectation in favour of an authentic presence. Her advice to other women entering a new chapter is to listen to their inner voice.
“Be intentional with your energy, it truly is your most valuable resource,” she says. “That means looking after your body, your mindset, and the environments you put yourself in. It also means learning to say no and not feeling guilty about it.”
Megan Gale will speak live at the Forbes Australia Women’s Summit in Sydney on May 6, 2026. Tap here to secure your ticket.
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