Thursday 27 Nov 2014
The youngest of the competitors, Alex has many strings to her bow. At only 19 she has qualified as a personal trainer, competed at pole fitness, and body-building. Alex also loves horses and competes in show jumping, cross country and dressage.
Alex says: "People say I've got little woman syndrome, that I feel I have to go out to prove something and maybe that's right, but I think it will be good to show everyone what I am about."
Despite all this she is still very girlie – her Chihuahua is called Jimmy Choo after her favourite shoes! As she says: "I think a lot of people underestimate me when they see me, they think I am all hair, nails and handbags and it's gonna be nice to show them what I can do."
Having just finished college Alex really wanted a new challenge, before going to university. She saw Last Woman Standing and knew it was right up her street. Experiencing the travel, competing with the local people and testing herself physically, as well as mentally, offers the ideal opportunity to prove to people that she is a strong girl inside and out.
Alex's high point comes when she finishes a run whilst living with the Xavante in Brazil. She doesn't consider herself a good runner so training really takes its toll, physically, to the point where she becomes ill.
"It was the hardest week of my life," she recalls, adding: "The feeling I got when I crossed that line was amazing. Knowing I had done it despite everything really showed me what I am mentally capable of."
In contrast, training for the Kali in the Philippines, Alex commits to the trial and lives, breathes and trains Kali for five intense days, before the Kali Master Rommel announces that she can't and isn't ready to fight.
This is a hard knockback for Alex, for someone to take away her hard work is tough to accept. Instead of getting upset, Alex turns her mental attitude around and tries to understand the reasons and accept the decision.
One of the most memorable moments comes in Brazil when the women take part in a festival which is a celebration of the forest. It's the beginning of the women taking power festival, so they dress as tree spirits and then dance through their huts to drive out any evil spirits. Alex recalls they had to disguise themselves with leaves and describes the tradition as a "really fun celebration to give thanks to the forest."
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