Worcester Native is Miss Bikini Universe

Monday, July 30, 2012

Jennifer Roy, GoLocalWorcester Contributor

Kelley Tyan of Worcester is Miss Bikini Universe 2012.

Don’t be fooled by Kelley Tyan’s sparkly pink bikini and Barbie Doll appearance. The 38-year-old fitness instructor from Worcester is as strong on the inside as she is on the outside, and her recent title of Miss Bikini Universe is just a glimpse of her multiple in both areas.

“I was so excited just to be competing with a group of women I admired. I was in shock when I won,” she says.

Kelley won the national competition (Fitness Universe) in Miami in June. She was encouraged to compete by her trainer Kathy Savage from Norwood, MA, after she took home another first place prize months earlier at Fitness America, (held at Foxwoods Resort and Casino in Connecticut), where she won the title of Miss Bikini New England, Kelley’s first competition ever.

“There were 40 women competing and they announced 5th runner up, 4th runner up, and I was thinking about how happy I was just to be on stage and to have had such a great experience. Then they announced the winner, and they called my name! I couldn’t believe it,” Kelley said.

Kelley is a natural beauty; yes folks, she was born with it. Her blonde curls, bright smile and slender physique have defined her appearance since she was a child, and she has worked hard to maintain her health and vitality through adulthood. Kelley learned modeling at Karon Shea’s Model Management in Worcester when she was 8 years old and developed a balance of self-confidence and humility which has made her a favorite among judges.

She is also disciplined and works hard, exercising 6 days a week and keeping a strict diet to maximize her fitness potential. Fitness has always been important to Kelley, but it took on a whole new meaning in her life when she was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 34.

“At that moment, my world stopped and I just cried it out,” she remembers.

Kelley did not perform regular self-breast exams, but one day noticed a small lump in her breast. She told a friend about it who suggested she go to her doctor. Kelly never went and forgot about it until her friend brought it up again three months later. The mother of 2 made an appointment and was diagnosed days later.

“I was studying to be a personal trainer at the time, and decided I wasn’t going to let the diagnosis get to me,” she explained. “I told the doctor I’ll do whatever I have to in order to take care of it, and I focused on completing my personal training certification.”

Tyan runs a bootcamp for women to promote fitness and high self-esteem.

In the midst of her radiation treatments, Kelley took her career to a whole new level and started her own bootcamp. She wanted to help women build self-esteem and, as a life-long fitness enthusiast, she began to share her passion for health with others.

“People think when they get older or have children, they don’t have the time to take care of themselves. I teach them to make their health a priority,” she said.

Kelley says her husband Tony is her number one fan and has supported her immeasurably, along with her two children,Taylor, 13 and Tony, 6. They’ll all be cheering Kelley on in her third competition coming up in Las Vegas in November. Until then, Kelley will continue to hold fitness classes at Crossfit Center Mass in Worcester and share her knowledge and life experience with anyone who wants to improve their health.