Alana Blanchard, 32 – Hawaii, United States
There are world-renowned surfers, and there are models. But Alana Blanchard from Hawaii is both. As a four-year-old girl, she was introduced to the world of surfing by her father. Her progress was evident as five years later, she was competing professionally.
Blanchard’s modeling career began in 2004 when she began partnering with “Rip Curl Swimwear.” As compelling proof of her success, she’s also won many championships throughout her career, including the Women’s Pipeline Championships in Hawaii and the Billabong Pro Pre Trails in Hookipa, Maui. In 2021, Blanchard and her fiance welcomed a son.
Gracie Gold, 26 – Massachusetts, United States
Grace Gold holds the highest short program score recorded by a female American figure skater. But if that isn’t good enough, she’s also the first and only American woman to win an NHK Trophy title; she certainly does her name proud.
Gold fell in love with skating as an eight-year-old girl, and soon enough, she began training with coaches Amy Vorhaben and Max Liu. And apart from being a two-time U.S. national champion, she has also won the Word team trophy twice. In 2022, she made an appearance at the U.S. Championships.
Allison Stokke, 33 – California, United States
Allison Stokke discovered early on that she wanted to be a pole vaulter. So even as a high school student, she was already breaking records. However, her career took quite a turn when she became an internet sensation in 2007. Thankfully, Stokke remained committed to her end goal.
In her first year of college at the University of California, Berkeley, she broke the school record for a first-year athlete. And once she was done with her degree, Stokke continued to pole vault professionally. She also did a spot of modeling for brands like “Athleta,” “Nike” and “Uniqlo.” In 2021, she gave birth to her daughter, Maya.
Hilary Knight, 32 – California, United States
The name Hilary Knight is familiar to every fan of Ice Hockey. And she deserves every bit of fame she gets. It’s one thing to win a Gold medal at the IIHF World Women’s Championships; however, Knight has won seven of those with the U.S. National Team.
It wouldn’t be farfetched to say that she’s been on a winning streak since the start of her career. Knight has undoubtedly set herself apart from the rest both locally and internationally. Her exceptional performance explains why she made the cut for the U.S. team, which competed in the 2022 Winter Olympics.
Paige VanZant, 28 – Oregon, United States
Paige Michelle VanZant is another name to remember. Though she’s best known for her prowess as a mixed martial artist—thanks to a record that features more wins than losses. Still, VanZant is also a professional wrestler, an artist, and a model.
Interestingly, she came upon a gym while searching for a dance studio. Years later, it’s safe to say she was suitably distracted because soon enough, she began training in boxing and martial arts. VanZant made her professional debut in 2012, a match she won. And in March 2022, she signed a contract with All Elite Wrestling.
Stephanie Rice, 33 – Brisbane, Australia
Stephanie Rice is a former competitive swimmer from Australia, with the active word here being former because she retired in 2014. But during her time as a competitive swimmer, Rice recorded enough wins to prove her worth.
During Beijing’s 2008 Summer Olympics, she won three gold medals. Then in 2009, she also received the Medal of the Order of Australia for her achievements. Though she has already said goodbye to the sport, her past record made her a worthy candidate for induction into the Sport Australia Hall of fame in 2019.
