International Dreams

I expected things to go back to normal after my first fight. Instead, there was a flurry of excitement. Messages from old friends and acquaintances continued to fill my inbox. Friends of friends of friends were contacting me, congratulating me on my win. At the gym, everyone was thrilled for me. The excitement only continued when I was contacted by someone from Fighters Source, an organization with which I was very familiar. They were looking for a 135 lb female to fly out to Chicago and represent for Team Miami. If I won the fight in Chicago, I would fight in New York. A win there would guarantee me a spot on Team USA, where I would be representing in the UK in an international MMA tournament.

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiwmRfihAAk)

The news was huge; the event itself is monumental. As MMA continues to be recognized as a true sport and spreads from country to country, there is an increasing desire in the community to bring it to the Olympic games. This tournament, which will be televised in millions of homes, is taking the sport a giant step forward. In fact, it's more of a flying knee forward...or maybe a superman punch forward. Either way, being a part of this event means a great deal. Just being offered the invitation made me feel like I was on top of the world.

To my disappointment, I had to keep the news quiet until the press release came out. Nelson (my coach/manager/sanity-keeper), was the only one who knew about it and was as excited as I was. Days passed by, and finally the announcement was released to the press. I had been checking my social media on the hour, waiting for the moment I could announce the exciting news. After the news broke,  it became real. Everyone was congratulating me yet again, and I felt like the luckiest person in the world.

Because the fight is in 3 weeks, I have been training even more than usual. I was disappointed with my performance in the first fight; I have a lot of work to do before I can feel like I deserve this opportunity. Nonetheless, I don't plan on disappointing. My new training regiment involves me waking up at 5 and drilling skills all morning. Nelson has created a training plan to help me make the most of the few weeks left before the fight. Luis and Pablo, my incredible striking and grappling coaches, are helping me improve every day. Everyone at the gym is donating their time and energy to helping me prepare for this fight, and I plan on doing everything I can to represent for them in Chicago.

Whether I'm rubbing sleep from my eyes in the early morning, mopping away sweat from my brow in the middle of an intense workout, or limping home after a never-ending day, international dreams will be motivating me.