Warning: Sexual abuse is described in this article.
Because she wants to give hope to young victims when telling her tale of sexual abuse, Kayla Harrison never holds back.
“The tunnel leads to a shiny gold medal,” the statement read. There is a UFC belt at the end of the tunnel, but Harrison asserts that Harrison must say something and that we must keep talking about it.
Harrison’s judo coach abused her when she was younger. He was detained, found guilty, and given a 10-year prison sentence after her mother reported it to the police.
As one of the best athletes in the world, Harrison has used her reputation as a two-time Professional Fighters League (PFL) champion and double Olympic gold medalist to raise awareness of child sexual abuse.
She published a book in 2018 with the intention of teaching parents how to recognize warning signs of child grooming and take preventative measures.
The 34-year-old has the most power to raise awareness of the problem right now.
At UFC 316 in Newark, New Jersey, she will face fellow American Julianna Pena for the bantamweight title on Saturday.
“I’m no longer that 10-year-old girl, but that 16-year-old girl.” Now that I’m an adult, I believe that God has given me this story for a reason, and that I should use it to improve the world. Harrison said, “I want to talk about it.”
Holly Holm made her UFC debut in April, but Harrison made a decision-winner over Ketlen Vieira in October.
In her first fight of her reign, Pena, 35, defeated Raquel Pennington in a unanimous decision in October to claim the bantamweight title.
Pena has tried to use her previous opponents’ trash talk to gain a mental advantage, but Harrison believes it has helped her own stock rise.
Harrison remarked, “Julianna is the ideal villain to make me a hero.”
I’m not sure if it’s my dominance or just how physically strong I am, or perhaps because I haven’t wrestled in a while and not been as competitive as a person because I thought people weren’t all that interested in me.
“Golden medals are collecting dust in my sock drawer,” I said.
Harrison made her professional debut in mixed martial arts (MMA) in 2018 and won 18 of her 19 professional fights.
She has largely been spurred on by her family since starting MMA despite having trophies and success during her glittering judo career.
When her stepdad, who was at the time looking after the children, suddenly passed away, Harrison adopted her niece Kyla and nephew Emery in 2020.
When asked what winning a UFC title would entail, Harrison replies, “This belt is for me, and she uses her mother’s experience to further her ambition.”
My children have taught me that life is much more than just gold and trophies and medals. Everyone frequently inquires about where my Olympic gold medals are kept, Harrison said, “because they’re all sitting in my sock drawer collecting dust.”
My kids certainly don’t care, no one cares. They are concerned when I return home. It’s all about having ice cream with them while playing Nerf gun wars with them because I’m so mum.
It has made me a better fighter and given me a new peace, understanding, and freedom.
related subjects
- Mixed Martial Arts
Source: BBC
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