Rachel Jeán Marteen

Some people have all the luck, and one of those people is Rachel Jeán Marteen. Born in Cartersville, a town in northern Georgia, Rachel was raised in a close-knit Christian family, attending church religiously every Sunday. “Cartersville is very conservative,” she says. “There are more churches than houses.” Despite her religious upbringing, Rachel dreamt of becoming a model, and in between two jobs and a full college courseload, she made time for modeling gigs. Rachel was discovered by Playboy when a photographer applied to work for our magazine. He didn’t get the job, but one of the models in his portfolio did – none other than the lissome Miss Marteen, who was promptly named Miss August 1995. “I’m just a normal person from a small town,” insists Rachel, who spends her time teaching aerobics, modeling lingerie and swimwear and studying acting. “I do well because I’m down to earth, spiritual, friendly and fun.” Being drop-dead gorgeous may have something to do with it – in fact, a Chicago newspaper once mistook Rachel for her lookalike, actress Shannen Doherty. When she’s not rubbing elbows with the Windy City’s finest, Rachel devotes her attention to health and fitness. “I’d like to pursue a physical therapy degree,” she says. “I’d also love to produce my own workout video. My signature workout consists of full blast 45-minute step, 1 hour of curls, squats and lunges. I call it the ‘kick butt’ workout!” Aptly named, Miss Marteen – here’s hoping you’re kicking butt for years to come.