The Angel Who Trained Like a Fighter
Izabel Goulart was a Victoria's Secret Angel for over a decade — from 2005 to 2016 — making her one of the longest-serving Angels in the brand's history. She was also, by widespread consensus, in the best physical shape of any model who ever walked the VS runway. Her body was not styled to look athletic. It was athletic.
The Sao Paulo Beginning
Born in 1984 in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Goulart was one of five sisters. She was scouted at 14 and began modeling locally. By her late teens, she had entered the Brazilian-to-international pipeline that produced Gisele, Adriana Lima, and Alessandra Ambrosio.
But Goulart's path was distinguished by a factor that set her apart from nearly every peer: her obsessive commitment to physical conditioning.
The Training Regimen
Goulart's workout routine became legendary in the modeling industry:
- She trained six days a week, often twice per day
- Her regimen included boxing, capoeira, and martial arts — not just Pilates and yoga
- She worked with dedicated trainers who treated her preparation like that of a professional athlete
- She maintained visible abdominal definition year-round — a standard that few models achieve even for a single shoot
Her physique was not the product of genetics alone. It was built through the kind of sustained, disciplined training that most people associate with professional sports, not fashion.
The Victoria's Secret Tenure
Goulart's eleven-year tenure as an Angel is remarkable:
- Became an Angel in 2005 and maintained the contract through 2016
- Walked the VS Fashion Show more than a dozen times
- Served as one of the brand's primary workout ambassadors
- Appeared in countless campaigns, catalogues, and promotional events
Her longevity was a function of both her physical maintenance and her professionalism. While other Angels came and went, Goulart remained. She was reliable, consistent, and always in extraordinary shape.
The Body as Brand
Goulart pioneered the concept of the model-as-fitness-brand that would later be adopted by younger Angels like Romee Strijd and Jasmine Tookes. She shared her workout routines, her diet strategies, and her training philosophy openly:
- Her Instagram became a fitness portfolio as much as a modeling one
- She inspired a generation of women to view strength training as compatible with femininity
- She proved that muscle definition and lingerie modeling were not contradictions
- She helped shift the Victoria's Secret aesthetic from pure thinness toward athletic fitness
Life Beyond the Runway
Goulart's career extended well beyond Victoria's Secret:
- Featured regularly at the Cannes Film Festival and international red carpets
- Campaigns for Missoni, Pucci, and other luxury brands
- Became a fixture in Brazilian celebrity culture
- Her relationship with German goalkeeper Kevin Trapp connected her to the European sports world
The Brazilian Legacy
Goulart belongs to the generation of Brazilian models who dominated Victoria's Secret from the early 2000s through the mid-2010s. Alongside Lima and Ambrosio, she formed a Brazilian trio that was central to the brand's identity during its most commercially successful years.
But where Lima brought intensity and Ambrosio brought warmth, Goulart brought physical power. She was the Angel who looked like she could actually fly.
Why She Matters
Izabel Goulart served as a Victoria's Secret Angel for eleven years — a tenure that may never be matched. She maintained a level of physical conditioning that redefined what was possible for a working model, and she did it while walking the most-watched runway in the world.
Eleven years as a Victoria's Secret Angel. The body of a fighter. The career of a legend. Izabel Goulart earned every minute of it.