Gustavo Machado Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Wilson, NC
“I found myself in a new city at age 50, worrying about everything from losing muscle and mobility to memory and simply keeping up with life. I knew I wanted to get stronger, stay mobile, and stop being afraid of what getting older might mean.
I honestly had no idea what I was getting into when I walked into this academy. I didn’t research BJJ—I just knew I needed something that would make me move, challenge me, and not feel like the same workout over and over.
At first, it was tough. I couldn’t get up fast enough. I couldn’t make it through the warmups without constantly stopping to catch my breath. But not once did anyone make me feel like I was too old, too female, too slow, or too inexperienced to belong there. Instead, I was encouraged to keep going, keep pushing, and to keep showing up.
I have never been this physically active in my life, and I have the owner, coaches, and everyone at this academy to thank for that.
Do I know what I’m doing yet? Absolutely not. 😂 But I’m stronger, I’m moving, and most importantly, I’m no longer afraid of whether I can do this. I know I can—and I have this entire academy encouraging me to keep going. They are some of the most amazing people I've ever met.”
