Entertainment

Gabrielle Reece's Latest Role Is 'Strong' Host

by Lindsey Kupfer

It was only a matter of time before Gabrielle Reece landed an awesome TV gig, and her new role as host of NBC's Strong officially begins on April 13, when the series premieres at 9 p.m. Based on all of her past accomplishments, hosting this reality competition should be no sweat for Gabrielle Reece, a former pro-volleyball player who is also an author, a mom, a fitness guru, an entrepreneur, and pretty much everything in between. It takes a lot of dedication to fill so many roles, which perfectly fits the theme of Strong.

The new fitness competition pairs 10 women with 10 of the best male trainers in the country, who will help the competitors become mentally, physically, and emotionally stronger through a series of challenges. There’s a cash prize for the last team standing and, of course, there's a scary tower that looks pretty much impossible to get through. As host, Reece may not have to take part in those challenges, but once you get to know her, you'll see that she would have no problem on the competition side of things. Here some of Reece's accomplishments that you should know about before she adds Strong host to the list.

Model

According to People, Reece was juggling a modeling career alongside playing volleyball in college, making “as much as $10,000 a day.” By her sophomore year, Elle had named her “one of the five most beautiful women in the world.” In the end though, she chose volleyball and in 1992, quit the modeling business.

Professional Volleyball Player

During the 1990s, Reece competed in the Olympic 4 on 4 Challenge Series and FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour, as detailed on her website. She was a team captain in the Women’s Beach Volleyball League. Basically, she’s a badass.

New York Times Best-Selling Author

In 2013, Reece's book, My Foot Is Too Big For The Glass Slipper, landed on the New York Times bestseller list. It tells hilarious stories from her life as an athlete, mom, and trailblazer.

Nike Spokeswoman

Reece's website also explains that in the '90s, she became the first female spokesperson for Nike. She was also the first woman to design a shoe for the company and her's was the first women's line to outsell Air Jordans.

HIGHX Program Creator

In 2014, she released this super intense, co-ed fitness program with Lifeline.

Mom

In her personal life, Reece is married to another athlete: pro surfer Laird Hamilton. The two have been married since 1997, and have two children together. So in addition to all of her other roles, Reece is mother to Brody Jo and Reece Viola, as well as stepmother to Izabella.

If she was able to excel in all these fields, I'm sure Reece will prove to be a great host on Strong.