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Meet Demi-Leigh Tebow, wife of ex-NFL star Tim Tebow: she grew up in small town South Africa, won both Miss World and Miss Universe in 2017, and just released her memoir, A Crown that Lasts

STORYIshani Sarkar
Former NFL star Tim Tebow and his wife Demi-Leigh Tebow, at the Tim Tebow Foundation Celebrity Gala and Golf Classic. Photo: @demitebow/Instagram
Former NFL star Tim Tebow and his wife Demi-Leigh Tebow, at the Tim Tebow Foundation Celebrity Gala and Golf Classic. Photo: @demitebow/Instagram
Fame and celebrity

  • The couple met at his foundation’s event for special needs children – her half-sister Franje, who suffers from cerebellar agenesis, was invited, but Demi-Leigh went in her stead
  • Self-defence workshops helped her fight off carjackers, and the incident inspired her to start her Unbreakable Campaign to empower women in dangerous situations

Demi-Leigh Tebow, a former Miss Universe and wife of former NFL star quarterback Tim Tebow, has a new feather in her cap – she’s now an author. On August 13, she released her memoir, A Crown That Lasts: You Are Not Your Label, that explores purpose, identity, faith and making an impact that lasts rather than chasing “crowns” that don’t.

Another cause for celebration for the 29-year-old multi-hyphenate was her husband’s 37th birthday on August 14. “Walking through life with you is one of my greatest gifts,” she wrote on her Instagram in a shout-out to her hubby, paired with a loved-up photo of the couple at a beach.

So, what else do we know about Demi-Leigh Tebow, who said her life changed the moment she handed over her Miss Universe crown to the next winner, per People?

What is Demi-Leigh Tebow’s background?

Demi-Leigh Tebow grew up in a small town in South Africa. Photo: @demitebow/Instagram
Demi-Leigh Tebow grew up in a small town in South Africa. Photo: @demitebow/Instagram
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The South African model was crowned Miss South Africa 2017, and went on to win both Miss Universe and Miss World titles that same year. She grew up in Sedgefield, a small town. According to her website, she attended boarding school in George and was the deputy junior mayor of the George City Council. The new author got her bachelor’s in entrepreneurial studies from North-West University, one of South Africa’s top public educational institutions.

She survived a carjacking

Demi-Leigh Tebow started the Unbreakable Campaign to help women prevent violence. Photo: @demitebow/Instagram
Demi-Leigh Tebow started the Unbreakable Campaign to help women prevent violence. Photo: @demitebow/Instagram

In 2017, after being newly crowned Miss South Africa, Tebow faced a nightmarish carjacking. “I was surrounded by five men, by multiple men, and some of them were armed,” she told Fox News Digital, adding that the self-defence workshops she attended at her father’s behest helped her survive as she “punched him as hard as I could in his throat” and escaped. The model was appalled that “nobody would stop to help me”, which inspired her to be that person for others. So, she started the Unbreakable Campaign to empower and educate women on navigating such situations.

How did Demi-Leigh Tebow meet Tim Tebow?

Demi-Leigh Tebow celebrated her husband Tim Tebow’s birthday by calling him “the most generous and hardworking person”. Photo: @demitebow/Instagram
Demi-Leigh Tebow celebrated her husband Tim Tebow’s birthday by calling him “the most generous and hardworking person”. Photo: @demitebow/Instagram

According to her website, she met her then future husband at the Tim Tebow Foundation’s Night to Shine prom event for children older than 14 with special needs. He had invited her half-sister Franje, who suffered from cerebellar agenesis. Demi-Leigh attended in her stead and fell in love with the quarterback’s aim to “fight for people that cannot fight for themselves”. The couple got married in 2020 at the La Paris Estate in Cape Town, South Africa.

Faith is important to her