Former Miss USAs Talk Faith in Pageantry: ‘Protect Your Mind’
By Movieguide® Contributor
Former Miss USA and THE VALLEY star Nia Sanchez recently sat down with fellow pageant queen Kristen Dalton Wolfe to discuss how they lean on their faith while competing.
“We’ve had tons of Bible studies together, tons of church things together,” Sanchez said of the pair’s friendship.
Sanchez and Wolfe met on the pageant circuit. Both went on to be crowned Miss USA—Sanchez in 2014 and Wolfe in 2009.
When asked about advice Wolfe had for aspiring pageant contestants who are unsure of sharing their faith while competing, she emphasized authenticity.
“I think when I gave talks, talks in schools, I just integrated [my faith] as it had to do with my story,” she explained. “I think anytime you’re sharing a personal story or personal experience, no one can get mad.”
Wolfe also shared tips for maintaining good mental health, telling listeners that it’s alright to remove yourself from situations that damage your self-worth, like muting social media accounts that make you insecure.
“You do have to protect your mind and protect yourself because it’s everything, and scripture says, ‘So a person thinks, so they become,’ and it is so true,” Wolfe said.
Today, both women work as pageant coaches. Wolfe is a board-certified mental health and life coach, while Sanchez appears on THE VALLEY. They are also both mothers.
Sanchez shares son Asher and twin daughters Isabelle and Zariah with her husband of nine years, Daniel Booko.
In a recent Instagram post, Sanchez celebrated her family, writing, “This season of life is beyond exhausting and takes EVERYTHING out of me. But I wouldn’t trade it for the world. These moments with my children while they are so little is precious to me.”
The couple previously spoke about health concerns they had during the pregnancy, as Sanchez and the twins were diagnosed with Twin Anemia Polycythemia Sequence (TAPS), which means one baby gets more red blood cells than the other.
In a vlog they posted at the time, Booko said, “We’ve been praying that it normalizes by itself…We love you girls, and we’re having faith that God chose us to have you for a reason and that everything’s going to work out great because God is good.”
Later in the video, after finding out the TAPS had reversed, the couple celebrated, with Sanchez saying, “We were praying for a miracle, literally. This doesn’t often reverse, but it’s reversed and we’re back in a normal range…it reversed, thank you, Lord.”
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