By SHEALYN PRATT
“You’ll find yourself in a room that makes you feel inexperienced… But being in that room, it means you earned your place there,” said Gillynne Dasco. That sentiment holds especially true when your first professional modeling experience is with Victoria’s Secret.
Former Northwestern track and field athlete Riley Midgett made it to the top five of Victoria’s Secret six-part YouTube docuseries, which followed the nationwide search for the brand’s newest 2026 runway Angel.
The Victoria’s Secret Fashion show is a part of girlhood that has been around for decades.
In 1995, the brand launched the Victoria’ Secret Fashion Show and broadcast it on national television. In 1997, the brand introduced the idea of “Angels,” using spokesmodels such as Heidi Klum, Tyra Banks and Adriana Lima. The show’s third annual installment marked the beginning of the elaborate wings worn on the runway. As the shows continued throughout the years, the size of the wings began to signify the status of the models wearing them. Models such as Elsa Hosk and Bella Hadid have worn wings weighing more than 50 pounds as they strut down the runway.
But you don’t just throw on the wings and walk down in a Victoria’s Secret show. The modeling industry is a demanding one. Some models spend years perfecting their walks and practicing their techniques. While some were practicing how to strut in heels, Riley was at another kind of practice.
She spent her freshman year of college as a collegiate athlete on Northwestern’s women’s track and field team. She was recruited by former coach, Derrick Young Jr.
“I really enjoyed the coach,” Riley said. “I actually liked Alva.”
She returned to her home state of New Mexico and finished her college track and field career at Eastern New Mexico University. Although she only spent a year at Northwestern, she said she was happy to have spent her first year in college as a Ranger.
“I’m glad that I went there for my freshman year because it definitely taught me college life outside of the state,” she said. “Living in the dorms and being uncomfortable in a place that you’re not used to, that’s good because when you leave high school that’s kind of hard.”
In high school, she finished second in the state in the 100-meter dash. During her time at Northwestern, she set program relay and sprint marks before transferring to Eastern New Mexico. There, she went on to earn honors such as the Lone Star Conference Commissioner’s Honor Roll, an All-LSC bronze finish in the 4×100 relay and a 24-second finish in the 200-meter dash.
“What I took from track and put onto the runway is work ethic and self discipline,” she explained. “When you’re on the track and when you’re at practice, you’re being coached the entire time. You have to have a strong growth mindset to learn new things from your coach… the way that I was so eager to learn how to get faster in track is how I did that on the runway and they definitely saw that. The judges saw that I was coachable.”
Riley went on to explain that self-discipline helped as she began to learn different runway walking techniques, especially because “Angels Among Us” was her first experience preparing to walk in a show.
Riley had done photo shoots with local photographers in her hometown but said she had never taken modeling seriously. On April 1, she saw Victoria’s Secret’s post for the open casting call and decided to apply.
“I was like, you know what, I’ll just do it, I was going to graduate and I was done with track. I just wanted to see what happened.” Riley said.
She attended the open casting call in Chicago before receiving a message from IMG Models scheduling her for an over the phone interview with the judges. Two weeks later, she was scheduled for a zoom call with Adam Selman, the producer of the 2026 Victoria’s Secret runway show.
“Getting the call from Adam, saying that I made top 10, was crazy,” Riley said. “I was trying not to cry because I knew they were recording the whole thing for the show.”
Riley said her first modeling job, especially one with Victoria’s Secret, was challenging.
“It was kind of like, I’m with pros. These girls, the other nine, are pros,” she explained. “It was just me and three other girls that have never walked in our lives. I’ve done photo shoots before, but it was nothing compared to this level. I got to experience how Victoria Secret show’s are.”
During “Angels Among Us,” Riley was flown to New York City, home to the Victoria’s Secret Global Flagship Store, the largest Victoria’s Secret Store in the world. There, she received modeling tips from some of the industry’s best. She received runway coaching from prominent Italian fashion casting director Piergiorgio Del Moro and was styled by French art director, fashion editor and stylist Carlyne Cerf De Dudzelle. Her makeup was done by Pat McGrath’s team. Vogue magazine once referred to McGrath as “the most influential make-up artist in the world.
As the docuseries unfolds, contestants are eliminated as the judges narrow the field to one model who will appear in this year’s show. Riley couldn’t believe that she made it to the top five, especially after nearly deciding not to attend the open casting call in Chicago.
“I knew in my head that I wasn’t going to win,” Riley said with a laugh. “Out of 100,000 girls… I am so happy about top five, I really, really am because I personally did not expect to make it that far. Especially with how horrible my walk was,” she joked. “I’m really proud and grateful that Adam gave us that opportunity.”
Riley plans to continue modeling after this experience. She said agencies have already begun reaching out following the docuseries premiere.
“This whole experience taught me confidence,” she said proudly.
Riley encourages everyone to pursue their dreams, even if they involve something they have never done before.
“We only live once and nothing is stopping you,” she said. “If I had never taken that jump, none of this would’ve happened, so honestly just go for it.”
From the track to the runway, Midgett’s journey proved that sometimes the biggest opportunities are the ones that are most unexpected.