Martial Arts gave me confidence and I loved it. I went on to earn my black belt and have continued training on and off ever since.

I enjoyed teaching martial arts because it gave me the opportunity to teach and empower children with the same valuable lessons I had learned myself: to have the confidence to stand up and speak out against bullies.

In high school, I wrestled and was the meanest 119-pound ginger in town. I made the Varsity team as a freshman and became famous for body-slamming people three times my weight class. I channeled all of my anger from being bullied and turned it into match-winning motivation.

I also discovered a passion for pole vaulting, initially trying it out as a joke, but somehow made the team. I flew high, like a butterfly, as I curbed my body over the high bar. The mental and physical challenges that came with running as fast as you could with a 14-foot pole, followed by flinging yourself into the air to surpass the height of your previous jump thrilled me. All I wanted to do was fly higher.