Nia Sanchez, Miss USA 2014: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

Miss Nevada Nia Sanchez has been crowned the winner of Miss USA 2014. Read on for the 5 Fast Facts on Sanchez.

1. She Is a Tae Kwon Do Expert

Sanchez is a 4th Degree Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do and has trained for over 12 years in the art. She knows how to defend herself and when asked if she appreciated the security that Miss USA provides, she said she of course loves it, but feels she can properly defend herself.

2. After High School, She Moved to Europe to Become a Nanny

While most Miss USA contestants have gone right to college after high school, Sanchez decided to travel to Europe and become a nanny. She then traveled to. the Middle East, Austria, and Switzerland. In total, she’s visited 13 countries and hopes to visit at least two more this year. Since she’s won the Miss USA title, this shouldn’t be too hard for her to accomplish.

3. She Lived In a Shelter When She Was a Child

As a child, Sanchez stayed in a shelter with her mother. She revealed to Las Vegas Weekly:

When I was 6 years old, my mom and dad were going through a divorce, and my mom beforehand was a full-time stay-at-home mom, so she didn’t have a job or any way to get out on her own. So we stayed at a women’s shelter for two months while she got a job and was working. It was great because they provided day care for us while she was out there trying to save up.

4. Sanchez Has Worked With Disney

According to her Miss USA contestant bio:

She was a face character for Disney in both the United States and internationally … Nia has worked as a full time model for the past 7 years and was chosen out of thousands of applicants to be a face character for Hong Kong Disney!

5. She Pushes for All Women to Learn How to Protect Themselves

Being so knowledgeable in Tae Kwon Do, Sanchez feels it’s extremely important for all women to learn to defend themselves. She believes in women empowerment and was sure to express her feelings on this subject during tonight’s Miss USA competition.

As for Sanchez’s love life, her man is Daniel Booko, an actor.

At the #missusa2014 dress rehearsal supporting my baby @realmissnvusa !! Tune in to NBC tonight to… http://t.co/4WHyapsvcW

— Daniel Booko (@realdanielbooko) June 8, 2014