- Excerpts
from a longer story/column about the romance between Danni and
KC Royals announcer Ryan Lefebvre. One that, apparently, pre-dates
the filming of Survivor: Guatemala.
"Royals radio broadcaster Ryan Lefebvre is
definitely in a zone these days. Just last week, Lefebvre was named
as the “best announcer” in Kansas City by The Pitch.
And now we hear he’s been dating the extremely-agreeable-to-the-eyes Danni
Boatwright.
Yes, that’s the same Boatwright who's on
CBS' reality show Survivor that is airing now through December.
That’s the same Boatwright who is an ex-beauty queen — she
was a Miss Kansas Teen USA in 1992 and a Miss Kansas in 1996 and
a first runner-up in the Miss USA pageant in 1996. Did we mention
she’s a model as well? And a huge sports fan? And a Sunday-morning
talk-show host on KCSP? Well, the latter is a stretch, because she
hasn’t been allowed by CBS to do that talk show since last
spring, before she started the Survivors gig. And a Sunday-morning
talk show from 10 a.m. to noon won't exactly make you a household
name. But her resume and snapshots should be more than enough to
make Kansas City’s male population envious of Lefebvre.
...my numerous spies indicate that the
two were set up by Mix 93.3 FM jock Kelly Urich last February, and
the two have been spotted frequently about town here and in her hometown
of Tonganoxie, Kan. As for Boatwright, she’s not allowed
to talk to the media at all, at least until if and when she is voted
off the island. (Don't even waste your time asking Lefebvre about
that.)"
- "She's
a 'survivor' Tonganoxie woman competes on upcoming season of CBS program
Tonganoxie native Danni Boatwright is best known
for being the runner-up in the 1996 Miss USA pageant. And now, nine
years later, she's again participating in a televised competition.
But this one is far from swimsuits and evening gowns.
Boatwright is a castaway on the CBS show "Survivor:
Guatemala," which premieres Sept. 15 on Sunflower Broadband
channels 5 and 13.
CBS prohibits contestants from talking about their
experiences on the show until the final episode airs. So Boatwright
said she couldn't discuss the show with The Mirror.
However, her mother, Vicki Cackler, said other
reality show producers had approached Boatwright about being on their
shows, but she refused. 'This was the only one that really interested
her,' Cackler said. 'Because it's a contest, it pushes you. I think
that's what intrigued her.'
Getting ready To prepare for the trip to Guatemala, Cackler
said her daughter did research on the country. Boatwright's
sister-in-law, Patti Cackler, who is a teacher in Tonganoxie, helped
Boatwright with research and then quizzed her about Guatemala. 'She
knew ahead of time where it was going to be ... She knew what she
was getting into,' Cackler said.
To physically prepare for Guatemala, Boatwright
trained at Unlimited Fitness in Tonganoxie. Boatwright took nonu
juice, a substance that helps build a person's immune system. She
also used triotein, Cackler said, to help in her training. Triotein
is a powder that is a protein supplement. 'They've just been phenomenal
working with her,' Cackler said.
Boatwright didn't limit her training to exercise. She
also made a trip to Cabela's and asked employees about survival training.
They taught her how to use a bow and arrow, among other things. Although
she knew how to fish, stepfather Jim Cackler gave her additional
pointers.
Of course, Cabela's workers had no idea she would be on Survivor.
On the web
Of the 16 castaways on this season's show, two
are from Kansas -- Boatwright and Manhattan's Brandon Bellinger.
Washington state is the only other state with multiple contestants.
At the network's Web site, www.CBS.com, bios of
Boatwright and other castaways are featured.
Other Web sites, such as www.truedork.com and www.survivorphoenix.com,
are independent sites that post more information, some that's false.
Cackler said one site states that Boatwright is married, but Cackler
said she no longer is married. [Ed. note: never
mind that there are three factual errors in the preceding four sentences].
The independent Web sites also have posts about
who they think will be voted off, along with other comments and opinions.
'There are Survivor groupies like you
would not believe," Cackler said. 'They're hilarious. There
are some that are nice and some that are not nice.'
The show will end in December. Until then, Cackler
can't comment on anything about the show because of contract agreements.
Whether Boatwright is the Survivor and $1 million
richer is uncertain, but Cackler said it's clear that her daughter
is proud of her hometown. Boatwright, who recently had lived in Kansas
City, currently lives in Tonganoxie. Her mother said she never has
opted to list her home as Kansas City on the CBS Web site. 'She's
never said Kansas City or Shawnee or Johnson County,' Cackler said.
'She loves her home, which is Tonganoxie.'"
- Shawn Linenberger,
for the Tonganoxie (KS) Mirror
August
13, 2005
-
"Mayan 'Survivor' features Kansans
A Manhattan farmer and a former Miss Kansas who
worked as a sports radio talk show host are two of the 16 competitors
vying for the $1 million prize in the 11th season of CBS's Survivor.
Danielle 'Danni' Boatwright, 30, of Tonganoxie,
and Brandon Bellinger, 22, of Manhattan, tried to outwit, outplay
and outlast the other contestants in the Mayan ruins of Guatemala. Colleen Sullivan, vice president of publicity
for CBS, said filming began in June and that the contestants returned
home during the first weekend of August.
'Danni is amazing,' Sullivan said. 'She is absolutely
gorgeous, but she says there is nothing girly about her. She's from
two different worlds.' Boatwright, who grew up with seven brothers
and is a self-proclaimed tomboy, loves sports and is driven, opinionated
and charming, Sullivan said.
She was the 1996 Miss Kansas and a Miss USA runner-up.
She then modeled internationally for several years before returning
to Kansas. When filming for Survivor started, Boatwright
was a host for 'Weekend Wrap' on 610 Sports, KPSM AM radio in the
Kansas City area, from 10 a.m. to noon Sundays.
She is married to country music recording artist
Wade Hayes and was in his video for 'Tore Up from the Floor Up.'
... Survivor contestants aren't allowed to
speak with the media until the airing of the show in which they are
voted out or win."
- "Boatwright
picked for CBS reality show
Tonganoxie native Danielle Boatwright will be
a contestant on the CBS reality hit show Survivor, which
premieres Sept. 15 on Sunflower Broadband channels 5 and 13.
Boatwright, who was the 1992 Miss Teen USA second
runner-up and the 1996 MISS USA runner-up, has modeled internationally
and has appeared television and print advertisements. For more about Boatwright, see the Aug.
17 edition of The Mirror."
- Pre-game
interview transcript, taken from the CBS News
site video, entitled: "A Bombshell With Biceps."
Danni: - "I
grew up with seven brothers in my life, and a dad who was in
the SWAT team in Kansas City, Kansas. So I have been, been pretty
prepared for life, because of that."
- "I, it's cool. I mean, I know how to shoot off... I have nine-millimeter
Glock and a .357 Lady Wesson, so if anybody ever broke into my house,
they'd be messing with the wrong chick. But you have to make sure
to keep your head down like that, so itwon't have so much kick off
of it. The nine-millimeter Glock has a pretty good kick on it, so...."
- "I have a lot of guy qualities.I mean, some of my friends
say I'm like six inches away from being a guy [laughs]. They say,
'You're more of a man than I ever thought I'd be.' So, I just am
such a tomboy, I mean, and my whole life alls I've ever wanted to
do was play sports and go to a sporting event. And, um, so... there's
just nothing really girly about me."
- "I'm pretty good at reading people, I think. So um, I'm just
gonna sit back and see, you know, who would be the strong person
to get, in an alliance with."
- "I think obviously I'm gonna come across pretty girly to 'em.
I think they're going to think I'm just, you know, kind of the uh,
probably just another pretty face, kind of thing. I don't know, it'll
be interesting. I don't know if they'll look at me and think I'm
very athletic, I don't know if you can tell that by looking at me.
But after the first challenge or two, they'll know."
- "I love a challenge, I run marathons, I do adventure runs,
you know, I go fishing all the time. Obviously, I'm very outdoorsy.
So it's perfect for that. I love it, the game. I always wanted to
be a professional athlete, and obviously am not, so...."
- "My friends call me Redneck Barbie. My friend called me on
the phone, and asked me what I was doing. I told her I was pulling
ticks off of my head, after fishing. So, that's where that name came
from."
- "Okay, a huge ultimate fighting fan, and the big strategy
with that is to never tap out. So I'm kind of taking that into the
game here, I'm never gonna tap out. I'm never gonna give in, and
if anybody misebehaves, I'm gonna have to throw one of my ultimate
fighting kicks at 'em. [Kicks] Hwah! There you go. [Laughs]"
- "The
girl with the cherries!
Here's the woman from Kansas with the cherry tattoo." [Followed
by picture of Danni].
- Follows up a previous tip (with essentially the text above) to
SurvivorThoughts.
- Update: Corvis discovered Danni's identity on
July 22, 2005. SurvivorThoughts post here.
- "610 Sports Rap
Sunday: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
To put an punctuation mark on the week and to help
get the next one started 610 Sports has put together a Sunday morning
show to give you an off-beat, informed, and maybe even a little contentious
show: 610 Sports Rap. Every Sunday morning you can check out MetroSports
reporter Chris Gough and former Miss Kansas Danni Boatwright.
Chris is an MU alum while Danni went to college at KU, so you'll
get the male-female disagreements and the Jayhawk-Tiger differences.
With that kind of conflict, you know you'll get a unique view on
everything happening in the world of sports."
- KCSP radio, 610 AM, Kansas City,
MO. From the 610sports.com web
site.
June
29-July 5, 2003
-
Co-hosted the Miss Teen America pageant, in Nashville, TN.
"This year the pageant has two dynamic co-hosts. Rising African-American
country music star Trini Triggs joins actress, dancer and model Danielle
Boatwright Hayes to keep the lively and sparkling program
going."
"Danielle Boatwright represented the state
of Kansas at the 1992 Miss Teen USA pageant in Biloxi, Mississippi.
She also represented Kansas at the 1996 Miss USA pageant.
Current Biographical information: Danielle currently
resides in Kansas and works for a local radio station. She continues
to stay busy with numerous modeling opportunities and her passion
for sports. Her dream job is to work for ESPN.
How did your year as a titleholder have an impact on
what you've achieved today? At one of the receptions
at Miss Teen USA, I was introduced to an international modeling
scout. At Teen USA is where my international modeling career
began. I have had the opportunity to travel to Italy, England,
Germany, France, Mexico, South Africa, Australia, even Tunisia.
Because of my title as Miss Kansas Teen USA, and my modeling
experience, I was chosen to be on Star Search as a spokes-model
contestant. At age seventeen, I was the youngest ever chosen
to appear on the show in this category.
What was your most memorable event? Probably
one of the most memorable events was a fashion show in the French
Embassy in Rome. The security was extremely tight which was not
totally unexpected. But, when I reached the end of the runway
I understood why. There sat Princess Diana!"
Long time singing bachelor Wade Hayes is finally
tying the knot. He recently popped the question to girlfriend Danni
Boatwright, who you can catch in Wade's new 'Tore Up From
The Floor Up' video."
[Note: Danni and Wade are no longer
married, as of Survivor: Guatemala.]
-
Extensive article and interview with Pageant News Bureau (excerpts
below):
"PNB: It's been almost three years since you
competed in the 1996 Miss USA Pageant. Update us on your life. Where
are you living now? In what type of work are you involved? Who is
representing you? Boatwright: I just moved a week ago to Nashville
from the Dallas/Fort Worth area. I've been living in Texas since
the Miss USA Pageant and traveling all over the world as a model
with the Elite Modeling Agency. I'm also represented by Page
Parkes in Dallas and Miami Beach."
"PNB: I know that you had a role in a prime-time
TV sitcom on a major network as a teenager. How did that happen to
a small-town girl from Kansas with little or no acting experience? Boatwright: That was due to Lynn Venturelli,
who brought me to L.A. and got me started modeling after the
Teen pageant. I had gotten into a little bit of acting. I just
went to an audition, and I picked up a script from "Daddy's
Girls" with Dudley Moore. I went home and worked on it that
night. I came back the next day and auditioned. They sent me
to see the producers. I read for them and I got my spot." Note: Danni does not show up in IMDb's listing
for "Daddy's Girls."
"PNB: Let's touch on your spiritual life. How
do your beliefs affect the way you live your life? Boatwright: I was raised in a Christian home.
My whole family is made up of preachers and teachers, so it has
always been a part of my life, and I've been very fortunate to
be exposed to that at an early age. But I didn't find out for
myself how much the Lord really meant in my life until I left
home and traveled as a model at 16. That's when I found out how
the world really worked and how different I was and my family
was from that. I mean I was on my own. I could do anything I
wanted to. That's when I found out that I liked who I was and
I was happy with the person that I had become, and it's because
of the Lord in my life and what He's done for me. I don't want
to lose that. I've held onto my beliefs, and they're very important
to me. It's something that I don't want to compromise, ever.
We all make mistakes, and we all sin. That's the way we are,
but I try to make myself as good a person as I can. The Lord
has done so many wonderful things in my life and sent so many
wonderful people into my life. I'm so thankful. I've been so
blessed."
"PNB: What are your long-term goals for the
next several years? Boatwright: I want to pursue the commercial aspect
of modeling. I like to act, but I don't want to be an actress.
I don't want to be in movies or in a sitcom. I really want my first
priority to be my family. But at the same time, I've always
got to have something to do on my own. I'm just that kind of person
who has a little independent streak in me. I want to keep pursuing
the modeling. I might even like to open up my own store in Nashville
and cater to the stars there and do some styling with them. I've
also thought about getting into fitness as an instructor or in videos.
There are a lot of things that I want to do, and I really need to
pick out one thing and focus on that. I haven't given up my dream
of being a sports broadcaster, either, so there might be something
in that field in the future for me. We'll see what happens with that,
because that's my ultimate dream."
-
Runner-up in Miss
USA beauty pageant (as Danielle Boatwright, Miss Kansas USA).
Had previously placed as second runner-up in the 1992 Miss Teen
USA pageant.
-
Extensive article and interview with Pageant News Bureau (excerpts
below):