Even getting to class is a challenge — she hasn’t been cleared to drive again, and the Uber or Lyft rides she’d have to rely on are often more than she can afford. She has to save her money, then take the bus to class and use a rideshare to get home. But despite having to go out of her way to modify her training routine, Perez just considers herself lucky to be able to train at all. “Going to class makes me excited a lot because I almost died. I almost couldn’t keep doing jiu-jitsu. It’s emotional sometimes.”
There’s no way that Perez is going to quit now that she’s come so far. She’s not looking to become a world champion, but to continue to fight her personal battles. “It’s not about getting stripes or to get promoted to a higher belt, but when I do get promoted — however long it will take me — I will be so happy to look back at my journey and know I never quit, to know that jiu-jitsu helped me so much.” As she looks toward the future, Perez hopes to travel and train around the USA and the entire world, even though achieving that goal will be financially difficult. “I’ll sell all my things to travel and train. Whatever opportunities come my way with jiu-jitsu, I’ll be grateful to receive them. I just want to learn jiu-jitsu and live the lifestyle and be happy and continue to see my symptoms lessen.”
Perez hopes that her journey can inspire others with a TBI to continue pursuing their goals despite all the obstacles they face. “Don’t ever feel alone,” she says. “Don’t ever think that you can’t be the person you were before — you’re a stronger person now and will achieve all your goals. Go at your own pace and take your time — if you have a bad day, there’s always tomorrow.”
The post After Nearly Being Killed, Monica Perez Won’t Let A Brain Injury Stop Her From Rolling appeared first on Jiu-Jitsu Times.