SHE hunts. She fishes. She was voted Miss Congeniality after winning a beauty pageant in her small town in Alaska. She is a mother of five and a churchgoer who says her favourite meal is a mooseburger.
But the traits that may serve Sarah Palin best - after John McCain chose her as his running mate - may be the competitiveness and determination to win for which she was named Sarah Barracuda as a sharp-elbowed high school basketball player.
Palin, 44, Alaska's first female Governor and the first woman on a Republican presidential ticket, has a life story that could make a conservative Republican swoon.
Born in Idaho, Palin moved to Alaska as a child.
She married her high school sweetheart, Todd Palin, who works on the oilfields and is a champion snowmobile racer. The couple live on a lake, own a float plane and have five children.
Their eldest son is in the army and is about to serve in Iraq. Their youngest son is four months old and was born with Down syndrome.
She fiercely opposes abortion and same-sex marriage. She supports the death penalty and the teaching of creationism in schools.
Palin is an enthusiast for the outdoors and a gun owner and opposes environmental restrictions on drilling in Alaska.
Virtually unknown to the average American before she was announced as McCain's running mate, Palin has been a rising star in political circles since 2006. She challenged the incumbent Republican governor, who was then under the shadow of a corruption scandal, in the state primary, and beat her Democratic opponent - a rare bright light in 2006 for Republicans who were losing across the map.
In a state dominated by big oil and a cosy relationship with Republican grandees, Palin campaigned in her first big race on a promise to end corruption and cut government spending.
Her launchpad into that race, after a few failed attempts to move up from the elected mayor of a town of 9000, was an ethics scandal.
In 2004, Palin quit her job as the head of Alaska's oil and gas regulator after complaining about ethical violations by a commissioner who was also the chairman of the state Republican party.
Palin initially came under attack for speaking out, but was eventually vindicated. As Governor, she has demonstrated a populist flair. She sold the official governor's plane and took commercial flights. She drives herself to work in the family Volkswagen. In an attempt to soften the burden of high petrol prices on Alaskans, she proposed giving every household a $100 energy debit card.
Palin has also tried to cut government spending and stopped a $400million bridge project.
But her combative nature has also caused controversy. In Alaska, she has a long list of political enemies.
She is also under investigation into whether she intervened to sack a state trooper who was involved in a divorce and custody battle with her sister.
Palin is alleged to have transferred public safety commissioner Walter Monegan to a job at the state alcohol board last month after he refused to sack the police official.
View the audio slideshow
here