Love Island USA Season 8 is bringing in plenty of surprises for fans, and one of the contestants is already turning heads before stepping into the villa! Yes, we are talking about Beatriz Hatz, the 25-year-old Team USA Paralympian, bronze medalist, and model who is joining the cast to find romance this summer.
Beatriz isn’t just entering the villa to find love; she’s making Love Island USA history as the first Paralympic athlete ever to join the show. It turns out that Hatz already has her priorities straight regarding her ideal man. And if her athletic career is anything to go by, she’s definitely not someone who backs down from a challenge. If you, too, are among the curious fans eager to know her story, you have come to the right place.
Who is Beatriz Hatz? Her journey from Paralympic podiums to reality TV
PC: Mark Reis/Team USA
Beatriz Hatz, a 25-year-old Colorado native, was born on October 7, 2000, in the town of Littleton. Her mother, Beatriz Rodriguez Hatz, is from a Mexican-American heritage and has imparted deep-rooted values during her growing-up years. Her father, John Hatz, has also played a vital role in strengthening her will throughout her early-life medical challenges as a child amputee. Beatriz also has two brothers, John and Ryan, who remain close to her. She is known to be very close to her family.
Hatz has spent a significant part of her growing-up years competing at the highest level of international sport and has numerous accolades added to her name. In 2018, she was named the 2018 U.S. Paralympics Track & Field High School Female Athlete of the Year. Now living and training in San Diego, Hatz made her Paralympic debut at the Tokyo Games in 2020, where she finished fifth in the long jump and secured top-six finishes in both the 100m and 200m events.
PC: Team USA
In 2024, Hatz headed to the Paris Paralympic Games and secured a bronze medal in the women’s long jump T64 event with a leap of 5.38 meters. That same year, she won another bronze at the Kobe 2024 World Championships. Other than these, Hatz has represented Team USA at multiple world championships, most notably in the 2019 Dubai World Championships, the 2023 Paris World Championships, and the 2025 New Delhi World Championships.
Now known as one of America’s leading Paralympic athletes, it looks like Hatz is ready to swap her track for reality television with Love Island USA Season 8.
Beatriz Hatz was born without a fibula
PC: Paralympic track-and-field
Hatz was only 10 months old when her right leg had to be amputated. According to her player’s bio on Team USA’s website, she was “born without a fibula in her right leg, which resulted in the limb being amputated below the knee.” Her condition, known in medical terms as fibular hemimelia, is a rare condition where the child’s fibula never develops. However, her physical obstacles never stopped her from achieving greatness. Sharing her story in the intro video of Love Island USA, Hatz beamed with pride as she explained:
“I was amputated at 10 months old. Tell me I can’t do something, I’m gonna do it better than you. My whole life has been ‘you can’t, you can’t, you can’t.’ Now it’s, ‘watch me win a fucking medal.’ And I did.”
Besides the track, Beatriz is adept in numerous other sports. She never let her disability define her and grew up playing almost everything a child could, from softball, basketball, and soccer, to karate and skiing. When her hands aren’t full, she enjoys drawing, painting, and even writing. Hatz also coaches young athletes and has reportedly been working on a children’s book. And yes, she has now officially stepped into the modelling world.
Hatz found her passion for the track through a dare
Did you know, Hatz didn’t even plan on becoming a track star? Yes! She reportedly joined high school track and field only after a friend dared her to give it a try. Well, thanks to peer pressure, that one dare ultimately led her to the Paralympic Games, and the rest is history.
Today, Hatz is an internationally renowned Paralympic athlete who not only shares glimpses of her games and training sessions on social media but also proudly uses her platform to advocate for children and young people with limb differences. Speaking to Interview Magazine in 2024, the then-23-year-old opened up about wanting to be an inspiration for these differently abled children, saying:
“I got bullied growing up, and I know what that’s like for other kids…When I was little, I definitely felt like the only one. I love that I can be a help and an advocate, even for people who are able-bodied.”
What kind of love is Hatz looking for on Love Island USA?
It’s no wonder that Love Island fans are already curious about the kind of guy who may catch the Paralympic star’s attention. Well, she already has her priorities set. Ahead of the show’s premiere, Hatz revealed that her dream man is someone who appreciates her Mexican heritage and culture. Bonus points if he speaks Spanish. And regarding her type, she has also spoken about some “sensationals” like a “mouth mullet,” and other attributes. She also made it clear that she isn’t interested in playing games. In her words, she seeks:
“[Relationships where] the man is strong enough to allow me to be in my feminine energy, but I’m not gonna compete for a man. He’s not a medal.”
With her Paralympic background and a heavily inspiring personal story, Beatriz Hatz is already being seen as a bombshell islander in Fiji. Whether she finds lasting romance remains to be seen.
More on Love Island USA 8
Love Island USA Season 8 premieres exclusively on Peacock on Tuesday, June 2, 2026. New episodes will stream daily during premiere week at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT. After the first week, episodes will continue every day except Wednesdays. As always, viewers will play a major role in determining the Islanders’ fate through the official Love Island USA app, where fans can vote on recouplings, dumpings, and other key villa decisions.
For now, all eyes are on the villa to see whether Beatriz Hatz finds lasting love or leaves with a broken heart.
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