Current Rank
Purple
What year did you start training?
2017
How did you get started?
My husband started 4 months before me!
What’s the biggest challenge you’ve encountered in your training, and how did you overcome it?
I started at 39 years old. It’s intimidating to start something new with people who are younger and more athletic. I kept coming because I liked the community so much and I’ve slowly gotten better.
What’s your favorite thing about training or teaching, and why?
The community and culture at Easton are the main reasons I come back. I wasn’t expecting this when I first started doing jiu jitsu, but found myself looking forward to connecting with the people and the training was secondary. When I started the orientations I was excited to be someone’s first point of contact at the gym and then checking in with them as they progressed. The women’s randori has given me a chance to connect with other ladies, especially lower belts, and ease them into live rolling.
What are your personal goals on and off the mat?
I’m currently getting a master’s at Naropa University in Mindfulness Based Transpersonal Counseling. I will finish in 3 years. I hope this and my jiu jitsu practice somehow connect in the future. My goal for jiu jitsu is to become a black belt and develop a women’s program at Easton.
What’s something people might be surprised to learn about you?
I was a zookeeper and vet tech before I had kids. I raised two baby orangutans, a fruit bat, a prehensile tail porcupine, 2 squirrels, 2 bunnies and a white cheek gibbon. I also kept the elephants and rhinos.
