Issue 129
June 2015
The hardest part about being successful at a young age is maintaining the trajectory you’ve put yourself on. Getting into the position I’m in now wasn’t too bad, especially because I’m fighting in the women’s weight classes.
Tecia Torres
The TUF 20 veteran tells FO about what it takes to grow up and inspire youth as a successful mixed martial artist
It’s a little bit easier for us compared to men as there isn’t many of us competing which makes it a quicker route than what the men have to go through.
However, now that I’m in the UFC and I’m pretty much at the top of my game, as far as being on the biggest platform I could be on for MMA, it’s harder to stick around because the talent level is so big.
To keep my top spot and to continue being one of the top fighters in the world is only going to get harder and harder.
The main reason I’m the person I am today and why I’m able to handle my success is because of my martial arts upbringing. I started aged five and continued through to college, when I started kickboxing.
Having that form of discipline in my life, while growing up as a child into a young woman, is what kept me on the straight and narrow path. Also, my grandma was a huge influence because she helped out my mom and dad a lot while I was growing up
Things get kind of surreal because you never know the impact you have on people. Because of the position I’ve been put in, I’ve got people of all ages telling me that I inspire them. It’s cool and made me look at myself as a role model.
Every day I’ve been given the opportunity to let the world know who I am, inside and outside the cage. I want to share that, especially with women and the kids growing up. I want to show them there’s a positive way to do things and if you do them the right way you don’t have to live a ‘boring life.’
It’s awesome to have little kids – especially little girls – say they want to be just like me. I get a lot of overseas fan mail from little girls sending pictures and stuff. I can’t respond to everybody but I try to write back to as many as I can.
I try to let them know that although they should follow their dreams – education is first and foremost.
I say this because an athlete’s window of opportunity is so short, so eventually I’ll be able to fulfill other dreams. I’m still able to do certain things that I’ve always wanted to do.
I’ve been able to travel around the world, train in different countries and meet people from different backgrounds, which is pretty cool.
Eventually I’m going to want to have children and settle down because I don’t think of fighting as something I’m going to do for ever.
At the moment, I’m still young enough to say I’m young, but I’m old enough to know that a few years from now I’m going to want to be a normal person and be able to give back to the people who are looking up to me now. I might start teaching martial arts or go into the workforce in a ‘normal’ job.
My advice to young fighters is they should gain as much experience as possible at the amateur level. Fighters are often pushed too early, and even if they’re not pushed too early they like to think they’re ready.
If you want to take this to a professional level and be successful, you need to gain as much experience as you possibly can.
Fighting as an amateur is
where you get your wins and losses that will help you create a foundation for your professional career. That’s a place where you learn.
If you’re a young person coming up, you’ve got all the time in the world to get where you want to be as a fighter. So take your time, look for a respectable gym and, if you’re a woman, try to train with other women because it really
does help.
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