I did not start out as an athlete. In high school I eschewed sports for academics, choosing instead to take Advanced Placement and Honors classes. The only team I was ever a part of was Sitka High School’s Drama-Debate-Forensics team (I even “lettered” in DDF twice). Before and after school, on the weekends, and during the summer I ran between jobs at the public library, an art reproduction company, and a construction site.
Being a bookworm paid off when I got accepted to Reed College in Portland, Oregon, and was offered substantial scholarships to attend. That was my ticket out of my hometown, so I grabbed hold of it and never looked back.
I got to Reed thinking I would major in Chemistry and go on to get a Masters Degree in Library Sciences. But, somehow, I graduated from Reed with a degree in Comparative Religion (think anthropology not theology).
In 2007 I took a Functional Self-Defense class to meet one of Reed’s Physical Education requirements and I fell in love with jiu jitsu training. In 2010 I took my first MMA fight on a week and a half’s notice, though I had never previously been interested in competition. I won that fight and found that I was hooked on MMA.
I am now ranked #13 in the world in the Professional Women’s Flyweight division, and I hope to keep climbing.
Here’s a little bit about where my MMA career has taken me so far:
Stats
- Height: 5’ 5”
- Weight Class: Flyweight (125lbs)
- Age: 26
- BJJ Ranking: Purple Belt
- Nickname: The Mantis Shrimp
MMA Accomplishments
- Professional MMA win-loss record: 4-0
- Amateur MMA record: 9-1
- Ranked in the top 10 (in the US) as an amateur
- Full Contact Fighting Federation (FCFF) Female Fighter of the Year 2012
- FCFF Best Tapout 2012 (For my August 2012 win over Emily Whitmire)
- FCFF Female Fighter of the Year 2013
- FCFF Women’s Flyweight Champion (3x)
- BudoFights Women’s Flyweight Champion
- CageStar Superfight Champion 2011
Jiu-jitsu Tournaments
- Oregon Open 2012 Champion, Women’s No-Gi
- Ground Warrior 2013 Champion, Women’s No-Gi
- Ground Warrior 2013 Second Place, Women’s Gi
- Ground Warrior 2013 Fastest Tap, both Men’s and Women’s No-Gi