Namajunas: I am fighting for mental health awareness
Rose Namajunas: “I think this fight could be a great PSA announcement for mental health awareness. I think I’m a champion for that.”
Normal people don’t fight. Everybody fights hurt. And sometimes, often, the hurt is emotional.
On Saturday Rose Namajunas fights UFC strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 217 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. In media conference call, Namajunas discussed fighting against her demons, why she fights, and fighting for a bigger cause – mental health awareness.
I grew up with lots of anger, frustration, and violence in my heart, said Namajunas, as transcribed by Martin Rogers for USA Today. In my childhood, I was [sexually] abused. There was a lot of drugs and violence around me. I come from a place of lots of turmoil.
I have overcome some demons in my path. Every day I wake up and I’m a f***ing champion, so that’s just my mindset all of the time. I think this fight could be a great PSA announcement for mental health awareness. I think I’m a champion for that. I’m so much stronger from it and I’m going to continue to be stronger.
It boils down to what my reason for fighting is. If I’m not fighting for a good reason, then your personal life starts to get messy and it’s like, ‘What am I doing this for?’
Right now, my goal is to bring my sport back to respect and honor. There’s a lot of talking and dumb s*** going on, especially with all of the tragedy going on in the world. This is an opportunity to show we can [empathize with] each other even if we’re martial artists.
There was zero empathy from the champion, who burned with ice.
You are mentally unstable and you are broken already, said Jedrzejczyk. And I will break you in the fight.