The Big West has had its share of professional athletes and Olympians across the board, but the league also has quite the collection of former athletes turned reality show contestants.

Three of those former athletes have won their competitions in UC Irvine’s Aras Baskauskas (Survivor), UC Riverside’s Taylor Bills (True Beauty) and T.K. Erwin of UC Santa Barbara (The Amazing Race). In all, the Big West has seen 18 former athletes compete in a variety of reality shows.


The league’s newest athlete turned reality show star is former UC Irvine women’s basketball player Kiara Belen (2008-12), going from a solid hoops career to a second place finish in America’s Next Top Model, a transition that only took her a year to accomplish.

Belen’s runner-up finish is even more impressive considering that she had never modeled prior to being on the show. In fact, it was a family member that got her interested in the show.

“I’ve always wanted to be a model from the time I was little but I was always an athlete. I wanted to go to college and play basketball first before I went that route,” said Belen.  “As soon as the [senior] season was over, I was exploring my options and it was my grandmother who suggested I fill out an online application. I really didn’t think anything of it because there are a thousand girls filling out those applications but they actually contacted me back!”

Once Belen got on the show, what struck her the most was how similar the competition was to her hoops career. As an inexperienced model, Belen had to rely on her competitive nature and lessons learned as an athlete to survive the challenges and move on.

“I thought I was the most competitive [person] in the competition because of my athletic nature. I would think differently…more strategically because that’s what I’ve learned from basketball and what I’ve learned from competition itself,” reflected Belen.  “I think it gave me an edge and in this industry, it is a competition. You’re always trying to beat out the next model and trying to be your best at all times.”

That’s not to say those challenges were a walk in the park for Belen. Throughout her athletic career she always had time to prepare for an opponent. In the competition, the challenges would come daily with little to no advance preparation for the models. Belen struggled at first with this transition, even landing in the bottom two following a challenge.

“That was the hardest challenge because we didn’t know what we were doing on a day-to-day basis,” said Belen.  “In basketball season, you have a few days or a week to prepare for an opponent and you know how to prepare. For this, I had less experience and it was already really hard not to know what to expect.”

This could have been a devastating blow but Belen picked herself back up and gained momentum, leading to one of her favorite and crucial points of the competition.

“My favorite photo shoot was the waterfall because Tyra [Banks] took that picture. It was a really pivotal moment for me in the competition because of what she did with that picture and how she put it in her house. She gave me a lot of advice that day and I learned a lot.”

Belen had to learn fast and adjusted quickly in order to move on. Especially in a house full of aspiring models that were relentless in their quest to earn a contract.  It inevitably led to the conflict that in many ways makes reality shows popular. Belen’s focus was key to helping her get through the game within the game, but she wasn’t afraid to stand up for herself either.

“You have a group of 13 girls in close quarters with no television or cell phones, you’re forced to interact with each other and it’s a competition… I was more focused on my performance in the competition as opposed to worrying about someone else,” Belen explained.  “There were times I had to stand up for myself but that’s all it really was. I didn’t try to initiate anything but I was ready to defend myself like any athlete.”

Belen may have finished in second place, but she earned opportunities that few in her field can dream about. These included being a spokesperson for Jamaica in an official tourism spot broadcast worldwide, a runway show for Cecilia Cassini, a part in an upcoming Tyler Perry movie and even a trip to see Alicia Keys in concert.

Through it all, Belen has met every challenge with a humility and attitude that is well beyond her years. She takes the time every day to take a step back and look at where she’s made it in her life…a blessed journey that is rooted in her love for basketball.

Said Belen, “To be honest with you, I do that every day. I just look at everything to keep it all in perspective. I’m very grateful, lucky and blessed to have had this opportunity and to remember where I came from keeps me grounded and motivated to keep working hard. I don’t want to get comfortable…basketball taught me a lot of life lessons and it definitely prepared me for this new journey I’ve been going on.”

These days Belen coaches middle school AAU basketball when she isn’t hitting the runway.  She has an affinity for helping children and realizes that her stature and journey have given youth hope and motivation for their futures. Listening to Belen talk about her role with children shows just how seriously she approaches that interaction.

“Even though I didn’t win the competition, I’ve had so many young girls and athletes come to me and start crying just by meeting me. They have told me I’m an inspiration and a role model and that’s when I realized I did win in the end. I think it’s great I can be there for kids and I really love getting involved with them. I have a special place in my heart for children because of all my brothers and sisters and remembering what it was like coming up. I enjoy working with kids and being a mentor.”

Kiara Belen may have been a runner-up on America’s Next Top Model, but her class and motivation put her at the top of any competition.