A Sit-Down Talk With Mandy Polk: How Can You Not Be Inspired?

1. For those of our readers who don’t know a great deal about you, why don’t we start with a bio of sorts.

I grew up in a suburb of Memphis called Germantown and went to a small private school until about 7th grade. I was in gymnastics and did exceptionally academically. I was also exceptionally weird.

One day I decided I’d like a social life and to pursue cheerleading, they seemed to go hand in hand, and given my gymnastics background that seemed feasible.

I enrolled in a public school that had the most national championships in cheerleading at the time and I met boys for once. That was sort of a let down haha.

However, I completely revamped my wardrobe, made friends, made the cheer team and started a new life.  My Uncle Jimbo (former multiple national champion wrestler) called me “the transformer.” From there I went on to win 3 national high school cheerleading championships and two individual UCA all-star awards.  The only year I didn’t win was because I had decided to start training for fitness competitions in high school, with my goal being to earn my professional status as quickly as possible.

Instead of playing the piano or singing or performing ballet at the “Senior Miss” pageant at our school, I dieted for four weeks (instead of 8-12 as most competitors do) and performed a fitness routine. I wanted to see if this was something I truly wanted to pursue. I didn’t win nor did I care to (some piano player did) but I received the strongest audience response, had a blast, and I knew I was hooked.

I was on the second week of my first contest diet during my high school graduation. My first show ended up being a way more advanced show than I’d planned on doing but I ended up qualifying for Nationals (a win here is required to achieve professional status).

At the age of twenty I accomplished this after a brief stint living and working in Las Vegas where I learned a lot about the industry and personal training.

I brought my talents back home with me when I was ready to try for my pro card and it worked, after shattering my foot onstage in New York three months prior, I achieved my goal and earned my pro status at Nationals in Miami, FL.

Once a pro always a pro, so I can go back and compete at any time, but I’m enjoying coaching others on that and fighting now so I’m going to keep it moving in that direction for the time being.

2. You already have a professional career in Fitness. Tell us about that.
IFBB fitness competition (international federation of bodybuilding, same organization that launched the career of Arnold Schwarzenegger), personal training, contest prep coaching, and part time fitness modeling.

I started training for performance and aesthetics in high school to compliment my competitive cheerleading and also to look more fit. I enjoyed being told I had “guns.” My boyfriend at the time pointed out that I would be great in the competitive fitness scene due to my athleticism, ability to pick up choreography, and gymnastics background.

Personal training was simply a temporary way to fund this operation and allowed me to spend more time in the gym.  I kept trying to move away from that career, but it turns out my coaching ability combined with my insatiable thirst for knowledge continued to draw me back in, as people would refuse to not train without me!

I’d love to have followed the path of a Jillian Michaels type because I do believe I am that good, however, as a competitive athlete, I didn’t focus as much on marketing myself in this arena because I had a passion for competition.

3. What prompted your decision to transition/add a mixed martial arts career?

I acquired so much knowledge that once I reached the professional level, the process had become a bit mundane.  (I’m not saying I’ll never go back)
I had experienced issues with my metabolism as a result of the constant dieting, and even once resolved, I realized I was still craving more variety in my training.

Lots of fitness girls will add sprints and plyometrics and different kinds of workouts but I had honestly done all of that already.

While watching the WEC and seeing the behind the scenes lives of fighters like Miguel Torres and Urijah Faber, I saw that these athletes lived a similar lifestyle, only with a continuous moving target. A very cerebral sport that would challenge my body, mind, and will seemed like a good fit.

I approached it the same way I did with competitive fitness, seeing each new discipline as any other exercise class, just that, a class, and tried not to overthink it. A year and a half later I was ready to fight.

4. What is the status of your MMA journey and where do you see it leading?
I decided to go pro once I dropped to the 115 pound weight class and felt very comfortable there.  I see it leading as far as I want to take it, because I feel the only person who can beat me is myself. I take it one step at a time, one practice at a time, one fight at a time.

5. Do you have a fight lined up?
I have a few things in the works, keep your eye on me, I will not disappoint 😉

6. Tell us a bit about your life outside the cage.
I wish I made enough money to have a personal assistant, but as of right now, my manager/best friend is doing that as best we can.
My days consist of meal prep, training myself, training at UFC gym Cordova and with the Bolton high school wrestling team, where I actually get to coach a little (because I’ve been doing it so long though it doesn’t feel like it), training clients, writing nutrition plans for my competitive athletes, teaching classes, answering a million questions, and changing clothes about 14 times a day.  Sometimes I get to talk to a friend on the phone.  Hopefully they don’t have a ton of questions 🙂
I train clients out of a personal training studio/small gym located in a nice office building in the center of the metropolitan area of Memphis. I also occasionally teach for a local franchise French Riveria Spa, and also consistently teach in Southaven, MS (about 20 min away) at a boxing gym called Prizefight, whose promotion put on the Lennox Lewis/Mike Tyson fight, one of the highest grossing pay per view events of all time.
My combat sports training is in the mornings with Jonathan Borders (at UFC Gym Cordova) who is one of the best kept secrets of martial arts in the MidSouth. After that, put everything else I described in a blender and that’s my day. From November to February I spend a lot of time in the afternoons in the wrestling room at a high school in the boonies.

7.  Where will we see Mandy Polk a year from now?
All over the place!  Either in the cage, or on the stage, or potentially pursuing grappling tournaments with a focus on wrestling at the highest level possible. I don’t know if the Olympic level could ever be in my future, but you never know unless you try.  Worst case scenario, I get really good wrestling. The more I talk about it, the more I think my life would make a good reality show, haha. I’m sure everyone thinks that about themselves these days though.  They’re a guilty pleasure of mine for end of the day wind down.

8. Do you have any sponsors or supporters you’d like to shoutout?

Are you ready for an Academy Award acceptance speech? Oh well, here goes.

Thanks—
First of all my manger/wrestling coach/dearest friend Rod Galvan. Without him I wouldn’t still be fighting. The scene out here in the MidSouth was pretty rough for the ladies at first (think 2009 in the South) and he really kept me going.  The wrestling room gave me somewhere to “hide.”

I already mentioned my coach Jonathan Borders. He’s incredible in style and knowledge.

I really must send a shout out to Chad Chilcutt, one of the first black belts in the area who is super tight with some of the Gracies and gave me a home gym where I felt safe after battling mental illness following severe trauma. Chad kept me actively fighting and always pushed me no matter what might have been wrong.

I have to thank Miguel Torres for allowing me to come train to his gym for three weeks in February through mid March, basically a full camp, following an injury, so he helped me rework my game from the ground up. Really helped improve my movement and striking and of course the jits is sick there.

Also Jeff Curran’s gym allowed me to come get some outstanding classes in. During that trip Douglas Keast helped me get in some outstanding and necessary standup work in at his tri-star academy in Bradley, IL.

Shoutout to all my guys at Bolton wrestling!! Even though y’all get on my nerves sometimes you know I love ya and need you.

Thanks to Rich Clementi for toughening me up in Slidell at his Gladiator Academy I had a blast!

Ben Graves of Semmes Murphey Clinic is a miracle worker and has helped me avoid a lot of surgery. If he can help Morgan Freeman he can help you.

My boss Brian Miles at Forever Fit Health Club for my bloodwork and his mentorship.

Brian Young at Prizefight for all the add-ons besides pay. Thank you Brian!

Anthony Manness of the ISKA for encouraging me to referee and judge and for certifying me, making me the first female ref in the state of TN!

Sponsors-
Cheryl Schlitt owner of UFC Gym Cordova and Boxergirl clothing line. What an exceptional businesswoman! She reminds me of my mom, she’s my gym mom 🙂 I literally couldn’t get the training, apparel, or financially justify the amount of time I train without her. Thanks Boxergirl!

UFCGymCordova for the training, the support, and a “home”

Shane Robely of FightSwag gave me all the gear I needed to get my start when I was new and broke. Thanks Shane!!!

Sports med and chiropractic at AC Johnson Chiropractic with Reed Johnson. Keeps my spine and whatever else might be bugging me in place.

I recently started an *exciting* venture with Rusty Wallace Racing Experience Memphis!!  I’m an adrenaline junkie, and if you want a thrill you need to go there. I was not told to say that.  Go there.

9. Is there anything you’d like to add?
There’s more to me than sports. I am passionate about helping people with special needs and would love to be able to volunteer as much as I used to. Some of these folks from high school are still my best friends today!

I will pursue work in film (not acting) at some point before I die 🙂  I always thought I was a tough critic and realized maybe I’m onto something… Id love to be behind the scenes and produce something of quality because some of it is beautiful, and most of it is junk. I still enjoy silly funny movies though.

I’m a huge Louis CK fan.

My hobbies include producing artwork, and becoming obsessed with random historical events. I think I’d be a great candidate for an episode of Drunk History (show in which a person educated on a particular topic discusses it in depth while inebriated, adding a more relatable element to the story).

Overcoming adversity and achieving the impossible in unreasonable timeframes seems to be a specialty of mine. I’ll spare you numerous examples for now unless you’re interested. I know I gave my mother high blood pressure and I hope I don’t give her a heart attack too.  She also deserves a special thanks for making me the strong person I am today. I basically had no choice, she is a tough cookie. Thanks Mom!

courtesy of (Doc Rad White)

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