Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Abbigail Staples. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Abbigail, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.
I have trained in my sport for almost 4 years. About 2 years ago, I took a break from training kickboxing to focus on Jiu Jitsu and competing. In January, 2022, I accepted a kickboxing fight short notice ( like a week before the fight) and my coach was not able to go to Oklahoma with me. My grandpa took me to Oklahoma, I had a physical , we got my fighter’s license and got taped up to fight. It was one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life! My adrenaline was pumping and I finished my FIRST ever amateur kickboxing fight with a WIN! It is experiences like this that keep me wanting more. The adrenaline rush is the best thing ever! I have my second sanctioned fight coming up on June 18th!
Abbigail, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Well, I started training Muay Thai, kickboxing and jiu jitsu after my mom passed away in 2016, from Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma. (a very rare “childhood” cancer) I started training as an outlet for my anger and depression. I can’t fight in Texas until I turn 18, so I compete in Jiu Jitsu tournaments and go out of state to fight. One tournament that holds a place in my heart is the Tap Cancer Out tournament that I started doing last year. It allows me to fundraise for cancer and honor my mom. I will be competing in this tournament again this year on May 28, at Game On Sports Complex in Ft Worth, TX. You can donate to my fundraising effort at https://wecan.tapcancerout.org/fundraiser/3660903
: Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
My goal as an athlete is to become a professional MMA fighter and use my platform to raise awareness for research for Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma. Sarcomas make up about one percent of all cancers. Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma makes up only about .5-1 percent of sarcomas, if that tells you the rarity of this disease. My mom wasn’t diagnosed until she was 20 years old and it had already spread to her lungs when they found it. She passed away at 25. I was only 8 when she died, but I remember like it was yesterday, There are only clinical trials for this and it is resistant to chemo and radiation. The drugs that my mom had to take made her weak and fragile. She had to be on two kinds of birth control when taking the drugs. I don’t want others to lose their kids, moms or dads the way my brothers and I lost our mom. If I can help bring awareness to this disease, maybe more money can be raised for research so that doctors and scientists can find a cure, or at least know why this happens. You can learn more about this horrible disease and how to donate to research on my website https://abbiraye.com
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
You know, every athlete is resilient, especially kids. When we practice a martial art, we take a risk every time we step on the mat. We go out and compete and train and risk injury each time. I think that regardless of circumstance or level you perform, we all show resilience by continuing our journey. Some of us want to be professional athletes, some want to learn self defense and some are only here for a season, but we are all show resilience in our own way. Each journey is personal and most of us have a “why” deep down inside. My “why” is my mom – I Fight for Her!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://abbiraye.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abbiraye/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/abbsta10