MONIQUE ELIAS: GLITZ, GLAMOUR & CHOKES

The lifestyle of a catwalk model is something regularly championed in the mainstream media. We hear evocative stories of glamorous parties, expensive clothes, fame and fortune. As always, there’s a yin to the yang, and the fashion industry is one that has always been rife with less-publicised truths surrounding ‘fast’ living and unhealthy lifestyles. Having been fully immersed in this world, as a successful model living in London, Monique Elias could never have predicted how much her life would change.

Fast-forward to the present day and the girl from gaucho country, Porto Alegre in the south of Brazil, has left her modelling career behind. Now, instead of strutting down the catwalk, Monique Elias struts onto the jiu jitsu tatami looking to choke people – and she’s pretty good at it.

Elias is an IBJJF black belt world champion, WPJJC champion and one of the most talented female jiu jitsu athletes on the scene right now. Having had a relatively slow start to the year from a competitive perspective, the Alliance representative hit top gear at just the right time, claiming gold over Luiza Monteiro in California in June.

We caught up with Monique inside our latest magazine to discuss our huge lifestyle change, embracing jiu jitsu and being a role model for women within our sport. Pick up the latest magazine HERE.

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