When you grow up with striking looks and hit 6’3’’ by the age of 15, you don’t have much of a choice, destiny is basically shouting out your name for success. Reece was raised in the Virgin Islands until she was a teen and admits to never really playing sports until others urged her to give it a shot. “I was such a late bloomer, it’s kind of funny,” says Reece. “I was 6’3’’ and 15, and they were like, ‘Oh, you’re gonna play volleyball and basketball,’ and I just kind of fell into it.” Ultimately, Reece’s family moved to Florida where she began playing volleyball. Many colleges took note, and she quickly received a scholarship from Florida State University where she not only earned a degree in communications, but also earned the title of “Most Inspiring Collegiate Athlete.” Aside from being an extremely talented and dedicated athlete, Reece was (and still is) gorgeous. So if you factor in the good looks with being 6’3’’, you also have the makings of a very successful modeling career.
Reece found the two careers highly enjoyable, but it was challenging to balance both at times. She was often expected to be in two places at once— training in Florida and at a shoot in New York. When asked what advice she has for our readers making career decisions, Reece says, “Try to figure out where your own strengths are. I mean, I remember when I was modeling, I had this accountant, and he said to me, ‘Kid, why are you messing around with this volleyball thing? Why don’t you model? Make the money while you can?’ The reality is my career would’ve been cut in half.”
Volleyball eventually did take the upper hand, and Reece decided to move states to join the professional circuit. “I remember putting all my stuff in a Mayflower mover and just going out to California,” says Reece. “And I think because volleyball wasn’t always a part of my life, I appreciated what it brought to my life.” Reece turned pro in 1999 and had an extremely successful volleyball career while still modeling on the side. She took a break from volleyball for a few years but returned to the beach in 2007 to compete while pregnant. “I still train about two or three hours, five days a week,” says Reece.
Volleyball is not the only thing that keeps Reece busy. “I have a two and a half-month-old daughter, a 4-year-old, a 12-year-old. If I have to work, I try to knock that out before the chaos hits at three o’clock. If I have to travel, I bring my family with me. It kind of doesn’t change as you get older, it’s just like, ok, what needs the most attention now?” says Reece.
Reece’s website, gotogabby.com, has also become one of her major focuses. Recently 300 workout videos were filmed and will be posted on the site. Reece hopes the tutorials will help those seeking to get in shape by providing fun and effective workouts. Reece has also released a set of
pregnancy workout videos and hopes to do a TV show in the future called Solutions. As if that weren’t enough, Reece even has her own clothing line, Velvet for Gabrielle Reece, she’s a published author, she’s worked as a spokeswoman for Nike for the past 16 years and hosts Insider Training for Fit TV/Discovery.
Reece seems to be taking on a million tasks every day and completing them with ease. She was even playing mommy while quieting down her youngest for a few minutes during our interview—too cute. “I think in a lot of ways, the reason why I was successful was because you….you hustle,” Reece says, “And sometimes it’s years of it not happening and then it does.” It appears the hustle is finally paying off, and we applaud her. Reece remains an inspirational role model because she possesses it all—her career, her family, her health, her happiness and yes, even her modesty. “I almost feel like this sounds silly or cheesy, but I hope that the best thing in my career hasn’t already happened,” she laughs.
By Allison Taylor
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