The earliest memory of the "competitive rush" I have is racing the neighborhood boys around the block on my light blue 10 speed Schwinn. After that, I started playing tennis, and was enrolled in every dance class my mother could find. My dad was a distance runner. He started bringing me to his shorter 5k and 10k races. I was always moving. Swimming in the summer months, skiing in the winter. I started with one brother, and along the way picked up 4 more. Needless to say, my life quickly became survival of the fittest. My house had at least one sport going in the backyard at all times. If you couldn't keep up, you were left behind. Since I was the only girl, I fought harder to stay off the bottom of the pile.
To balance out these rugged boys, my dad kept me active in my dance classes. The more time I spent at the studio, the more I spent helping the younger kids. I found myself enjoying the time teaching the younger kids. I eventually had my own class and continued teaching while earning a BFA in Dance and Choreography at George Mason University. Once I graduated I followed my dreams of living in a big city, New York City.
It was there through several twists and turns, that I found Muay Thai. The movement was similar to the modern dance I had grown to love, and the athleticism reminded me of the sports from my earlier years. After a few sessions, I was hooked. Strength and beauty tied together with focus and discipline. I was already a certified personal trainer at the time, and decided to dive into really learning and understanding the martial art, so I could instruct others. Eventually my dance career was left behind, and I started competing in amateur fights. It took me all over the country and eventually outside of the states. There weren't many female fighters out there at the time, and I am happy to have been a part of paving the way for the next generation. I am now a 2x WKA Professional World Title holder and couldn't be prouder.
I have been a trainer in New York City for over 15 years focusing on Muay Thai, at academyfivepoints.com with a variety of clientele. I teach group classes for both adults, and kids ages 5 and up. I also rediscovered "weight training" through kettle bells and I am a Level II SFG Instructor, through the Strong First organization (at) strongfirst.com. Through even more twists and turns in life, I am going back to school to pursue a second Bachelor's Degree in Nursing.
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