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Ask Stacy Keibler what she thinks the biggest myth is about her and she’ll reply, “There’s not many myths but it’s the greatest compliment I get when people meet me for the first time and tell me, ‘You’re nothing like what I thought you’d be like.’” Surely most people wouldn’t consider that to be language of praise, and some might even consider it insulting. But Keibler is different. The public has seen numerous personas of her. She’s glamorous and captivating as a contestant on the top-10 rated show Dancing with the Stars; she was fun and entertaining as a Baltimore Ravens cheerleader; and, well—put it this way—even this writer raised an eyebrow after seeing video footage of her kicking, punching, and slamming as a wrestler for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). So perhaps a better question for Keibler isn’t about myths or perceived identity, but rather, who she really is. That is the subject of this article. And depending on how you know her, for some it might be surprising, and for others, not at all. Keibler was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, which she describes as a normal blue-collar town. Compared to Los Angeles, she says it’s another world. “It took me a while to get used to L.A.,” she says. “I feel like I’m the person I am today because of where I was raised and how I was raised. I just moved out to L.A. two years ago and I’m glad that I didn’t move out sooner because I matured and found out who I was before I moved.” Keibler is the only child of Pat and Gary Keibler, who she largely credits with her success. “I have such a great family and support system,” she says. “I just called them [her parents] actually yesterday and we were all crying on the phone. I just said, ‘You know I could never be here without you guys. This is because of everything you’ve done for me and the way you raised me.” It was her mother who originally suggested she contact Dancing with the Stars. Beyond being very instrumental in keeping her active in many extracurricular activities, her father, a longshoreman at the port of Baltimore, showed her the value of hard work. Her mother always encouraged her to follow her heart. At first, this meant becoming a physical therapist. “When I got a job as a physical therapist technician, I loved it,” Keibler recalls. “To see them [the patients] start out with an injury and come in and get therapy and to see how they left was just really rewarding for me.” However, the idea of being a physical therapist started to fade the day she saw an advertisement for a $10,000 contest to be a Nitro Girl for the WWE. For someone who grew up going to WWE shows with her friends, the idea of being a part of the entertainment—even if it would only be on commercial breaks—seemed like a lot of fun and a great opportunity. “To win $10,000 in college is like having a million dollars,” she says. Her mother accompanied her on the drive from Baltimore to Philadelphia where she auditioned. Similar to her success on Dancing with the Stars, she won the contest by fans voting. But it was only three weeks after she started her contract and went on tour with the show when the producers and the writers expanded her role. “They said, ‘We’d like you to be on air as a character. We don’t want you to be a wrestler—just a character,’” she says of the non-wrestling personalities that add extra flavor to the WWE. “And then a couple weeks after that they said ‘We’d like to send you to wrestling school.’” Ironically enough, the girl who initially wanted to be a physical therapist attended wrestling school. There she learned how to fight and defend herself, but not enough to prevent injuries. While the wrestl-ing matches are largely scripted (“Before I go out in the ring, we pretty much know who is going to win and who is going to lose.”), getting hurt is almost inevitable. “It’s a very physical contact sport,” she says. “So when the guys [and girls] are hitting each other, they’re hitting each other...I’ve broken my nose twice; I’ve cracked my ribs; I’ve had a hip pointer.” Notwithstanding those injuries, her parents continued to show unconditional support. More than anything, their worries stemmed from their 18-year-old daughter traveling alone four days a week. “I had to pay for my own airfare and hotels, rental cars, and get myself from town to town,” Keibler remembers. “Being 18 and never traveling by yourself and then BOOM—you’re out the door and on your own.” Yet looking back, Keibler knows that her wrestling experience—although dramatically different than her eye-opening performances with Dancing with the Stars—had prepared her well for the challenges she faces on the show. “Four days a week for the last seven or eight years I have performed shows like being a part of a traveling circus,” she says. “I performed in front of a live audience whether it be wrestling...being an actress, getting the crowd motivated, and putting smiles on people’s faces. I brought that all with me [to Dancing with the Stars]. Now I’m performing in front of a live crowd every week.” Each week Keibler and her professional dance partner, Tony Dovolani, perform for a “crowd” more numerous than the population of New York state. “I don’t go out there and think about the 20 or 24 million people watching,” she says. “I think about the 600 people that are right there.” Keibler and Dovolani practice anywhere between six to eight hours at a time. It’s exhausting. “I don’t think people realize how hard dancing is on your body,” says the wrestling star. “Last night we were doing a move which caused my neck and leg to kill me this morning. But I can’t do anything about it. I have to go to practice again today.” Keibler says her biggest challenges are self-imposed. “I’m such a perfectionist,” she says. “My partner has been doing this since he was five years old. So he moves his hips in certain ways and I think, ‘I wish I could have done that yesterday.’” But even with all her challenges Keibler says that every Thursday she wakes up with a smile, ready to perform. “What I’m doing now is a complete dream,” she happily says. “Everyone—my family and friends—who have known me since I was a little girl are getting to experience all this with me at the same time...I’m just glad I’ve made it this far.” With her intelligence, beauty, drive, and talent, there is no telling how far Keibler will go. Although she says she would love to one day act in a sitcom such as Friends, for the moment she is just concentrating on doing the best she can each week Dancing with the Stars. “I went into this and I’m working so hard. I put my heart, my mind, and soul into it,” she says passionately, later adding, “I know people are watching but I don’t know if they’re voting. So I just hope that people watch, and if they’re entertained, they don’t just say, ‘That was a great performance,’ but they pick up the phone. I just want people to vote [she laughs].” There is no doubt she has ours. Source: David Krissman of Beverly Hills Mag |