Rachel Recchia: 9 things to know about 'The Bachelor' star Clayton Echard's bachelorette Rachel Recchia

Rachel Recchia may take her relationship with The Bachelor star Clayton Echard to the next level when they enjoy an overnight Fantasy Suite date on the show's 26th season.


Rachel is a 25-year-old commercial pilot and instructor from Clermont, FL.

RELATED LINK: BACHELOR SPOILERS: WHAT HAPPENS ON CLAYTON ECHARD'S 'THE BACHELOR' SEASON? WHO DOES CLAYTON PICK AND END UP WITH AS HIS WINNER?

From the start of the process, Clayton found Rachel to be special, charismatic, intelligent, beautiful and humble.

Rachel was the first woman to tell Clayton that she was "falling in love" with him, and she told the cameras that she could truly picture Clayton being her husband. She said he made her feel like the only girl in the world when they're together.


Clayton even told Rachel's father Tony during her hometown date that he loved her passion, independence and ambition and would be willing to move anywhere, including Europe potentially, for Rachel's job in order to be with her.

"I have no intention of hurting Rachel. I don't have a crystal ball as far as what it looks like at the end of this journey, but I do know that I see a future with her," Clayton explained to Tony.

"I've had thoughts and I've dreamt about getting down on a knee and proposing to her and what life would look like outside of this. If I didn't see a future with her, I would not be sitting her before you, and all I can do is keep taking steps."

When saying goodbye at the end of the date, Rachel assured Clayton that she felt even stronger for him and she was "falling even harder" after the family visit. Clayton could tell that Rachel was "all in," and he said, "Rachel could absolutely be my wife."

Until viewers can watch what happens next between Rachel and Clayton on The Bachelor, let's get to know this bachelorette a little better and learn some information about her right now.


Below is a list of nine facts Reality TV World has compiled about Rachel Recchia.

Rachel Recchia is "a fearless frequent flyer," according to ABC

Rachel is looking for a man who will travel the world with her.

After spending six years in flight school at Ohio University and recently earning her private pilot license, Rachel believes the future is nothing but sunny skies.

Rachel just needs to find a co-pilot who will match her sense of adventure.

RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' FRANCHISE COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER?? (PHOTOS)

Rachel had a "phenomenal entrance" on Night 1, according to Clayton

Before Rachel stepped out of a limo on the first night of filming, a 63-year-old woman named Holly preceded her.

Holly gave Rachel a grand introduction, and then Rachel explained to Clayton how Holly was her "wing woman" whom she brought along to help break the ice.

"It threw me for a loop, but then she came out and she had this confidence about her. [She was] very sweet, and then our conversation was so much fun," Clayton told Entertainment Tonight of Rachel.

"She's got so much going on for her, being a pilot in training. She just has this unique background."

Clayton said he was "thoroughly impressed" by Rachel after first meeting her.


"I didn't feel like she was that nervous," Clayton noted. "I think she conducted herself very well. I was attracted to that. There was this clear connection."

The Bachelor bachelorette knows what she wants in a partner

Rachel, a self-declared hopeless romantic, is looking for a man who is as playful, passionate and spontaneous as she is.

Rachel's future husband will also be nurturing, empathetic and respectful in all facets of life -- to her, to family, and especially to waiters at restaurants.

Rachel is hoping to find crazy, insane love that makes sense to no one else but her and her soul mate.

Rachel definitely would like to have children

Rachel's birthday is March 8, according to The Sun, and as she heads into her late twenties, she is ready to settle down with a man and start a family.


When Rachel has kids, she can't wait to read the Harry Potter series with them.

She also channels her inner-child with her love for Flaming Hot Cheetos, which she says she could live off of!

RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELORETTE' COUPLES NOW: WHOM DID 'THE BACHELORETTE' STARS AND THEIR BACHELOR PICKS ULTIMATELY END UP WITH?! (PHOTOS)  

In addition to being well-educated, she is spunky and perky!

Rachel was a cheerleader at Ohio University. As for her undergraduate degree, she attended Northeast Missouri State University.

Prior to focusing on becoming a pilot, Rachel worked as a program manager for Snow Companies LLC in Williamsburg, Virginia.

Rachel flies planes and wants to jump out of one!

Rachel was always interested in aviation and traveling and wanted to have a different career, and that's how she became interested in attending flight school.


Rachel says she's a trustworthy person and would love to go skydiving with Clayton, as long as one of her well-trained pilot friends is flying the plane.

The Bachelor bachelorette was not born in Florida

Although Rachel's hometown date with Clayton was in Florida, she was born and raised in Chicago and only moved to Florida when she was a teenager. She's therefore a big Chicago Cubs fan!

A few other fun facts about Rachel? She once organized a flash mob in high school and flies to Ohio to get her hair extensions and color done by her favorite stylist.

She has also traveled to Thailand and Italy.

RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' COUPLES NOW: WHO DID 'THE BACHELOR' STARS AND THEIR BACHELORETTE PICKS ACTUALLY END UP MARRYING? (PHOTOS)

Rachel's career put a strain on one of her past relationships

Rachel told Clayton that her ex-boyfriend wasn't really supportive of her career as a pilot and the amount of traveling she would have to do for the job. The man apparently thought Rachel would cheat on him during her travels.


Rachel called the love she had with that man "conditional" and said she never wants to experience that again.

Clayton, however, assured the bachelorette that he'd never hold her back from doing what she loves and her success and passion were actually turn-ons for him.

Sarah Hamrick has accused Rachel of "betraying" her

As shown on The Bachelor, Rachel was one of the women who informed Clayton that Sarah had allegedly been boasting about her superior connection with Clayton, which in turn made the other women feel insecure about their own relationships.

"I definitely feel betrayed by [Rachel and Teddi Wright]. It's hurtful because throughout our entire time on this season, I was a sounding board for them. They shared good days with me. They shared bad days with me, and they shared tears, laughter," Sarah, 23, told Us Weekly.

"They shared intimate details about their conversations with him as well... Rachel's saying, 'Oh we already talked about a hometown.' And at this point, I had not had those conversations... but did I come to him about that and say, 'How dare these women say this to me and make me insecure?' No."

Sarah said she thought the girls were her "best friends" and that they had an understanding to separate their friendship from their individual relationships with Clayton.


Sarah therefore claimed she wasn't given the "same treatment and respect" from Rachel.

"And I think what was the most hurtful is that even when it was brought to my attention that they felt insecure because of my relationship, I came to them specifically and I said, 'I take accountability for this. I apologize for this. And I want to move forward,'" Sarah claimed.

Sarah said Rachel and Teddi had accepted her apology and also accepted fault for doing the same thing and so they "all agreed to not share intimate details anymore" -- and they didn't.

Sarah therefore said Rachel and Teddi bringing the issue up to Clayton was "the ultimate betrayal."

"That's when it felt like, 'Okay, you guys aren't actually insecure because of the things that I'm saying, you just see this as an easy way to get me out of the house and boost yourself forward,'" Sarah noted.

RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' FRANCHISE COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER?? (PHOTOS)


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About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski