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UTC graduate appears on new Fox reality survival show ‘Kicking & Screaming’

Nakeisha Turk attended the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga from 2008 to 2012, where she was a Mocs cheerleader and earned a bachelor's degree in political science. She currently lives in Atlanta and has been an NBA cheerleader for three years.
Nakeisha Turk attended the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga from 2008 to 2012, where she was a Mocs cheerleader and earned a bachelor's degree in political science. She currently lives in Atlanta and has been an NBA cheerleader for three years. Nakeisha Turk attended the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga from 2008 to 2012, where she was a Mocs cheerleader and earned a bachelor's degree in political science. She currently lives in Atlanta and has been an NBA cheerleader for three years.

By Susan Pierce 4 min read

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› What: ‘Kicking & Screaming’› When: 9 p.m. Thursdays› Where: Fox network

Nakeisha Turk is a self-described “high-maintenance, girly girl” who likes to “keep up my looks, shop and get my nails done.”

So imagine the culture shock when this pampered National Basketball Association cheerleader was dropped – kicking and screaming – into the jungles of Fiji last May to survive the toughest month of her life. No cellphone. No bed. No mani-pedis or hot rollers. Just old-fashioned ingenuity.

“All my friends and family were shocked or they just busted out laughing. They know that Nakeisha and the outdoors DO NOT mix,” says the 26-year-old.

Turk is one of 10 divas paired with 10 survivalists to test their stamina in the jungles and swamps of the South Pacific islands. Their adventures – and misadventures – were filmed for a new, unscripted reality show on Fox, “Kicking & Screaming.” The premiere of the eight-week series airs Thursday at 9 p.m.