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Local real estate broker and CPA-turned-fishing-and-hunting entrepreneur Larysa Switlyk has made what once was a hobby into a Hollywood reality.
Switlyk, 27, even has the punchy nickname to go with it: Bowfishing Babe.
Switlyk's career transformation, which she says is the payoff from three years of hard work, revolves around her role on two TV shows. One is a fishing competition reality show that airs Sunday nights on Animal Planet, “Top Hooker,” where Switlyk, a Sarasota resident, was bestowed the Bowfishing Babe.
Another show, “Larysa Unleashed,” a more personal look at Switlyk's global hunting and fishing exploits, is scheduled to debut July 26 on NBC Sports. Episodes of the show include bow-hunting for Wisconsin trophy whitetail deer; Spanish ibex in mountains near Barcelona; red stag in Argentina; and elk in New Mexico.
“I live for this,” says Switlyk regarding the passion she's had for all things outdoors most of her life. “I love fishing and hunting.”
A few national news media outlets have picked up on Switlyk's story. This is, after all, someone who jumped off cliffs on the Great Barrier Reef and swam in waters with 14-foot long tiger sharks — before she turned 25. (See Business Observer, Oct. 7, 2011.) Recent interviews include plugs on ABC's “Good Morning America” and “Fox & Friends.”
Switlyk, who worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers after she graduated from the University of Florida, tells Coffee Talk she hopes the TV shows are a springboard to a long-lasting career in a fickle industry. She seeks sponsors to enter contests, and she also looks to partner with companies to sell products, from energy bars to a clothing line. And she hopes the TV shows, which she self-produces, will be a hit.
“I'm trying to build a brand,” says Switlyk. “I'm excited to see where this goes.”
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