This Stunning Marine Appeared To Have It All – But Then She Started To Lead A Double Life

Ihrke had enlisted young, though, so it makes sense that she wanted to branch out. Back when she was 19 and in college, a dire financial situation pushed her to seek alternative options to working full-time and studying. That’s how she found herself embarking on a career that pushed her to the limit – both mentally and physically.

There was an added bonus, too: enlisting in the Marine Corps meant that Ihrke traveled the world while serving her country. And while she was eventually shipped out to Afghanistan – facing conditions that would test any serviceperson – she still told the Military Times that she had reveled in the experience. In 2019 Ihrke said, “Joining the Marine Corps was the best decision of my life and truly set me up for success. I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”

Ihrke wasn’t just there for the ride, either. No, she climbed the ranks and succeeded in her posts. Initially, she had started out as an administrative specialist – a role that typically sees marines deal with correspondence and travel orders, make sure punishment books are up to date, and distribute ID cards, among other tasks.

But Ihrke wouldn’t stay in this position for long. She spent years working her hardest to climb the ladder, and in time her effort was rewarded with a new rank: sergeant. Throughout it all, she also battled the stigma that came with being a female marine, although apparently this didn’t take away from the experience.

Ihrke told Military Times, “It’s hard [to be a female marine], no doubt, but I was able to see what I was capable of and I pushed myself to be my absolute best. Work hard, play hard!” That mentality affected other areas of Ihrke’s life, too – especially when she picked up a second job that put her on a path to a double life.

Yes, Ihrke had a secret, although she’s now happy to speak about it. She’s opened up about her childhood, too. Talking to Inside Edition in 2019, Ihrke revealed that she had grown up in a “one-horse town” and that she had rarely identified with her feminine side. The future marine added, “For the first ten years of my life, I thought I was a boy.” But Ihrke didn’t have any military aspirations during this period. No, those came out of necessity – at least to begin with.

You see, Ihrke didn’t know what to do when she graduated from high school. And while college seemed the obvious next step, the young woman had no idea what she wanted to do with her life even after becoming a sophomore. What she was sure of was that she was tired of working two jobs and going to school full-time.

So, Ihrke went to see an adviser at her college for help arranging financial aid. But as it turns out, there was a catch. Ihrke would only get free tuition in her home state of Minnesota in one of two scenarios: either she had to be a single mother, or she needed to enlist in the military.

That discussion led to another fateful conversation for Ihrke. She told Yahoo! in 2018, “I decided to research the different branches [of the military], and a Marine Corps recruiter caught me on the way out from talking to an Air Force recruiter.” But it may surprise you to hear that this man didn’t think Ihrke had what it took for the Corps.

Ihrke recalled, “[The recruiter] explained how tough the program is and said, ‘A girl like you probably wouldn’t make it through boot camp in the Marine Corps.’” But those words of discouragement ended up having the opposite effect on Ihrke. Instead, the teenager decided to enlist. She said, “I took that as a challenge and asked, ‘Where do I sign up?’”

Ihrke later admitted to Inside Edition that she’d had second thoughts after the ink had dried. She said, “On the way to boot camp on the plane, I’m like, ‘What have I done?’” In part, this was because she knew she was entering an environment that wasn’t necessarily female-friendly.

Ihrke explained, “I’ve always been athletic and stuff. But, like, literally, they say it’s a man’s world, but the Marine Corps is a man’s man’s world.” And, sadly, that environment made her feel judged as soon as she arrived for boot camp. Ihrke said, “You walk in with a target on your back. People are looking at you, like, ‘Can she keep up?’”

You’d think that the doubt from others during boot camp would have put Ihrke off. But, again, it had the opposite effect. She told Yahoo!, “You have to work twice as hard to be seen as an equal, so my goal was always to push myself to be as good if not better to show them you can be on the same level.” Plus, Ihrke said, she had her fellow female marines for support.

Ihrke explained, “I had drill instructors [during boot camp who] were beautiful, smart women. They were amazing – and it motivated me even more.” And, thankfully, the enlistee found mentors in the Marines who helped her realize that she could succeed in what seemed like a boys’ club. She told Inside Edition, “When you push yourself to the limit, you’re amazed at what your body can really go through.”

Ihrke didn’t stop there, either, as she continued to push herself after joining the ranks. And for her hard work, she received a promotion after two years in the service – one, in fact, that typically goes to enlistees after at least four years. Ihrke revealed to Yahoo!, “I was meritoriously promoted from E1 to E4.”

It probably helped that Ihrke had quite the affinity for guns as well as an exceptional ability to shoot on target. And some of that may have come from her childhood. Ihrke said, “I grew up shooting guns with my dad, which is part of the reason I did so well in the rifle range when I was in the Marines.”

But what pushed the young woman even more was the self-confidence she had. There was also her burning desire to prove everyone wrong who had doubted her. This drive ultimately helped her to climb to the rank of sergeant. She did understand, though, why her fellow marines may not have expected her to get so far.

Ihrke explained, “It’s kind of natural to judge a book by its cover. But then it makes you want to be as good, if not better than those people to show that you can keep up and you are equal.” And that same philosophy has continued to fuel her – even though she was honorably discharged from the Marines in 2012.

So what were Ihrke’s key take-homes from her time in the Marines? Speaking to the Daily Star in 2019, the young woman revealed all, saying, “I pushed my body harder than I could have ever imagined, and I learned to remain calm and collected in the midst of chaos. I became part of something that was bigger than myself, and I loved it.”

Leaving the Marines would also give Ihrke the chance to pursue new avenues. One of these was a relatively traditional path: she eventually returned to school at Illinois’ Elmhurst College, where she studied for a degree in science. But the former servicewoman similarly had the chance to explore a more unexpected career – one that had fallen onto her lap near the end of her time in the military.

How had this curious line of work begun for the ex-marine? Well, Ihrke had gone to visit friends in Chicago just before the conclusion of her four-year contract of service. Then, as one of her pals happened to be putting together a fashion show at the time, they asked Ihrke to walk the runway. She agreed, and the rest, as they say, is history.

This modeling debut did more than simply put Ihrke on the fashion world’s radar. Photographers began to get in touch, too. So, when the Corps discharged her, she went on to pursue a career in an industry that was far from the one to which she had grown accustomed. And it was an especially big change for someone who had been a tomboy throughout her life.

Still, having modeling as a new potential career path made it easier for Ihrke to decide to leave the Marines. She told The Sun in 2019, “Had I not had other dreams I still wanted to accomplish in my life, I would have re-enlisted without hesitation… And although I am no longer on active duty, I will always bleed green.”

Fortunately, Ihrke’s first session with a photographer showed her that she could just as easily fit into modeling as she did the military. She told Inside Edition, “I remember getting my pictures back from my first photoshoot and being like, ‘Look at this, I actually look like a girl.’”

And the ex-marine wasn’t the only one admiring her photos. You see, Ihrke’s first modeling job was a Maxim gig, and the magazine’s editors clearly liked what they saw. She landed on the cover, in fact, although Ihrke didn’t even know that was the case until the issue hit newsstands!

“My friend was at the airport, and he called me and said, ‘Congratulations on getting the Maxim cover,’” Ihrke said to Fox News in 2018. “And I was just stunned. I had no idea.” But the beauty soon realized that she liked her new job just as much as the old one, later telling Inside Edition, “I love modeling just like I love the Marine Corps.”

Ihrke made waves again in the summer of 2019 when she posed for a racy Armed Forces calendar that featured her and other servicewomen. That made the experience “cool,” according to Ihrke, as she had previously been part of shoots “where all the girls are dressed like they’re in the military, but not all of them are.”

Ihrke added, “We all knew how to hold a gun, [and] we all knew how to walk strategically and tactfully move, so that was cool.” And it wasn’t lost on her that a marine-themed shoot was pretty different to life in the Corps. She said, “I went from feeling like a guy every single day… to having my hair done and my makeup done and my nails done.”

Following her career change, though, Ihrke has enjoyed getting back in touch with her femininity. Talking about getting dolled up for shoots, the model told Inside Edition, “I loved it. I was like, ‘Oh, I do still have this girly side to me.’”

That was just one way the modeling world differed from Ihrke’s life in the Marines. And while she appreciated the beautification process, she did have a reality check after swapping fatigues for fashion shoots. It all came down to the way in which she got her modeling work – which was a much different process than earning a promotion in the Marines.

Ihrke explained, “In the Marine Corps, if someone tells you ‘no,’ you can prove them wrong.’ In the modeling world, if someone tells you ‘no,’ there’s nothing you can do. You’re not it.” Luckily though, she was offered lots of work. And it all brought Ihrke to national attention for her unusual career trajectory.

However, life post-Marines isn’t just about modeling for Ihrke. For one thing, she’s gone back to her roots. Remember how she told Inside Edition that she came from a “one-horse town?” Well, she may not have returned to that location specifically, but she does work with animals now.

Yep, Ihrke is a horse trainer who also instructs kids on how to ride. She told Yahoo!, “I have about six horses right now, and I am training for roping competitions.” And it doesn’t stop there. The model also collaborates with her local sheriff’s department – working in what she calls its “horse posse.”

Ihrke’s time tutoring youngsters may even have helped her with another major life step. In October 2019, you see, the former marine welcomed a daughter named Aryana River. And the new arrival was swiftly followed by another happy announcement. Come June 2020, Ihrke revealed that she was expecting another little one – due in December of that year.

Still, Ihrke upholds some of her marine ways as a parent. For one thing, she maintains her physical fitness as she did in the Corps. The model told Yahoo!, “I love running and working out. I’ve always been an athlete. If I’m not training horses, I’m at the gym.” And while she has since become a mom, that hasn’t stopped her from keeping herself fit.

In an August 2020 Instagram post, Ihrke admitted not “[working] out nearly as much as [she] used to.” But she still maintains fitness as a priority, she said, in order to be a good example for her daughter. Ihrke explained, “I strive to be a great mother to Aryana and show her good habits.”

Other than that, Ihrke told Yahoo! that she enjoyed being back in Minnesota and living life at a slower pace. And the calm of the young mom’s new life allowed her to reflect on her career and time spent serving the nation. She said, “I love being back in a small town. Life is so simple.”

Still, Ihrke maintains that everything wouldn’t have fallen into place this way without her time in the service. She explained to The Sun, “I owe the Marine Corps my life – hands down. It gave me a reason to wake up, push myself, set goals and to push myself even harder when things got tough.”

So, as Ihrke continues to model, she can rest assured that her career has done more than just good things for her personally. She concluded, “Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But the Marines don’t have that problem.”