Sharon started Brazilian jiu-jitsu in early 2008, when her now-husband gifted her a gi and a private lesson with Professor Hannette Staack. She has trained consistently with Brazil 021 ever since.
She was always more active than average, but never took athletics seriously enough to compete. Academics came first in her family, and athletic wins were acknowledged but not emphasized.
That changed when Professor Hannette offered her the chance to compete. Her first tournament was the 2009 IBJJF Pan Americans, where she won bronze, followed by gold at the 2009 International Novice Open / World Championships.
Since then she has competed in many local and IBJJF events and collected what she calls a shoebox full of bronze, silver and gold medals.
