TEACHER Gemma Auld is from the school of hardship as she juggles a career in the classroom and in the cage.
Auld is an amateur MMA champion set to make her professional debut on September 28th at Glasgow’s famous Hydro Arena.
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But when she’s not learning her craft at the gym, the Scot is in charge of teaching a class of ten and 11 year olds.
Auld only started training at age 27, after joining a Muay Thai gym to use the weight room.
One thing led to another and she found herself in one of the classes.
Before long, she was practicing jiu-jitsu and eventually MMA and after five years of combat training – she stepped into the cage for her first fight.
Auld, 33, told SunSport: “It wasn’t something I always wanted to do or anything. It just happened. And I’m glad it happened!”
The flyweight won six consecutive victories in just ten months of action and won amateur titles.
But anticipating a struggle to get fights under the amateur code, Auld decided to quit when the Professional Fighters League came along.
She said: “I had this idea that I would have to turn professional very quickly.
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“And so this opportunity to create the PFL was incredible and there was no way I could say no to it, so here we are.”
Life as a teacher-turned-wrestler “isn’t easy,” Auld explained as she put in her 15-hour day.
It includes arriving at work at 7:30am, leaving for the gym at 5pm, and not getting home until 10pm.
She laughed: “So it’s very thorough. But I absolutely love my job. It’s hard work, but it’s great.”
Auld’s impact has led to some of her students – especially girls – joining local children’s Muay Thai classes and becoming MMA superfans.
She said: “They were watching all my fights on YouTube and coming in and talking about it.
“Some of them like watching UFC and other things too. They’re a little older now that they can understand and understand what I’m doing.
“I think some of them started to get interested, especially the girls, which was cool to see because it tends to be the boys who like to fight, and everyone thinks it’s really cool.
They were watching all my fights on YouTube and coming in and talking about it. So it was really cute.
Teacher and MMA fighter Gemma Auld
“But I noticed some girls going out and watching the fights and coming in and asking me about it and stuff. It `s cute.”
Auld has a classroom of her biggest supporters, who follow every bump and bruise she suffers along the way.
She said: “I have a picture of them all with every belt I’ve won. So it’s really cool.
“In fact, the first day it was announced that I was signing with the PFL, they were the first people I told because it was an afternoon when I was working.
“I obviously told some friends and stuff, but when it was announced, I showed them the poster and everything, and they were all really excited.
“So it was great to share that with them because they were a big part of my journey.
“And obviously, sometimes when I’m here, I’ll drink too much water or come in with a black eye and stuff.
“So I like to share that with them so they understand, because it’s important for them to also know that I have a life beyond being a teacher and for them to see discipline and other things.”
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
