Helena Success Story

Helena a jiu-jitsu athlete.

A short introduction to yourself?
My name is Helena, I am a green/black belt in jiujitsu. I am 14 years old and have been training jiujitsu for 5 1/2 years.

How did you develop your fondness for your sport and at what age did you start learning karate?
I developed my fondness for jiujitsu as soon as I started, and I always liked wrestling and grappling even when I was younger, when I did Kajukenbo it was always my favorite part. So, it came naturally when I tried it and I never stopped after. I started jiujitsu when I was 8 years old.

What is your style and what rank do you currently hold in?
My style is jiu-jitsu, I like to play guard and pass, and I like to attack submissions whenever I can. My current rank is green/black belt.

Do you have a favorite Sensei?
My current Professor is Hector Vasquez, at Cobrinha BJJ LV, so I like rolling with him.

How did you get into this position and how did your journey in this sport go?
I started training because at first, I was going to start strength and conditioning, and the owner of the gym said he has jiujitsu and I should try it. As soon as I tried it I loved it and kept going.

Do you take sports as a profession or is it just a hobby?
I take my sport as a profession and in the future I hope to make a living out of it, doing what I love.

What challenges have you faced in getting to where you are now? You can also share any injury story.
The challenges I have faced during my journey have mostly been losing in several competitions and being bullied. At first, when I started, I was losing most competitions, but that helped me learn and it helped me keep going. I was bullied by some kids before, but that made me more confident now and made me train harder for what I wanted to achieve.

What motivates you most about your profession as an athlete?
The thing about jiujitsu that motivates me is that there are always new techniques to learn and I am always improving every day, and it’s so fun to me.

Do you have anything you want everyone to learn?
The advice I would give to other athletes in the sport is to never give up and stay focused, train hard.

What tournament or match you have won are you most proud of and why?
My two favorite competitions are IBJJF Pan Kids and Fight2Win. My hardest fight so far was at SJJIF Worlds, where I became the SJJIF World Champion. The fight was hard for me because the girl was very strong and I was really tired at the end. Even though the fight was hard, I still achieved my goal of becoming an SJJIF World Champion.

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