Mireya Mayor

Who wears pink hiking boots into the jungle, packs a little black dress (because you never know), and tracks wild animals like she’s stalking a cheating boyfriend…Dr. Mireya Mayor: Nat Geo WILD channel host, National Geographic Explorer, and primatological goddess who is redefining what it means to “have it all” for a new generation of women. Pink Boots and a Machete tells the unlikely story of a first-generation Cuban-American girlie girl who forges her way from her über-protected suburban upbringing to NFL cheerleader to death-defying adventures around the globe. With plenty of field studies under her belt, Mayor vividly details her own backstory and relives her most thrilling adventures. Whether she is diving with sharks or standing down a gorilla, this compelling and often hilarious memoir reveals her relentless determination,indomitable spirit, and above all, fierce love of animals. Not many former NFL cheerleaders have survived a plane crash, slept in jungles teeming with poisonous snakes, swam with hungry great white sharks, rappelled down a 14,000-foot sinkhole in search of frogs, and been charged by an angry silver-backed gorilla. But then, Mireya Mayor is not your typical ex-NFL cheerleader. A scientist, explorer, wildlife correspondent, anthropologist and inspirational speaker, Dr. Mireya Mayor, a Ph.D. in anthropology, has reported on wildlife and habitat issues to worldwide audiences for more than a decade. In 2005, Mireya received two Emmy Award nominations for her work on the television series “Ultimate Explorer”. Mireya was later named an ”Emerging Explorer” in 2007 by the National Geographic Society which selects rising talents, “the next generation of visionaries” who push the boundaries of adventure and global problem solving, inspiring people to care about the planet. Mireya then went on to star in Mark Burnett’s eagerly anticipated 8-part series Expedition Africa: Stanley & Livingstone (History Channel) in 2009 as one of four explorers to retrace the nearly 1,000-mile trip of Henry Stanley & David Livingstone. Armed with only a compass and old maps, the explorers face challenging terrain, conflicting team dynamics, and diverse wildlife. Mireya is now one of the hosts on National Geographic’s new channel Wild! You can currently catch her series “Wild Nights with Mireya Mayor” and her documentary special “Mystery Gorillas”. Mireya is a Fulbright scholar, National Science Foundation Fellow and published author with a Ph.D. in anthropology from Stony Brook University. She wrote the foreword and was a major contributor for National Geographic’s Complete Survival Manual, has written articles for National Geographic’s kids magazines “Explorer’ and ‘Extreme Explorer’, and is working closely with National Geographic’s School Publishing on videos and textbooks for classrooms nationwide. Mireya has made numerous appearances on the “Today” show, MSNBC, CNN, and Despierta America and has been profiled in People, Marie Claire, Latina, National Geographic Adventure, Vanidades and Elle magazines. Mireya divides her time between research in the rainforests of Madagascar, lecturing at schools and universities and traveling the world as a wildlife correspondent. Mireya’s talks are inspiring for all ages but, is an especially powerful presenter for student audiences. Visit her website www.mireyamayor.com