THE LOOK OF SPORT: LERYN FRANCO Take passion, courage and tenacity , layer on looks and charm, and you get two-time Paraguay Olympic Team javelin thrower and model Leryn Franco.

Sauntering into the lobby of her New York hotel, wearing silver sequined hot pants and a white tank top, accessorized with crystal rosary beads and aviator sunglasses, Leryn Franco commands attention—even in Manhattan’s too-cool-to-breathe meatpacking district. That her sidekick for the day is a fellow beauty queen, a blonde to Leryn’s brunette who also happens to be her best friend, doesn’t hurt. After hosting a renowned Paraguayan television program together last year, the friends pretty much turn heads wherever they go.

Television hosting is just one of Leryn’s off-track jobs. She also models for international and domestic advertising campaigns and magazines. These accomplishments begin to illuminate the symbiotic relationship between Leryn and her sport. The javelin throw served as her first public forum, and she in turn raises the profile of the often-overlooked event.