VIRGINIA BEACH (WTKR) — When the idea of training Brazilian jiu-jitsu was first brought up, Amelia Guinn was not a fan.
"It was actually my cousins because I was sleeping over at their house and they forced me to try it," she recalled with a laugh. "And at first I hated it."
In the six years since that sleepover, Guinn has come around on the sport. She's claimed success on multiple continents before her 12th birthday.
"Five Pan-American championships for kids, one Brazilian championship and then one European Championship," Guinn said. "I didn't think I'd ever get this far at my age."
"We went to Brazil and you don't think this girl from the States would go to the mecca of jiu-jitsu and win," said her father Kenneth. "She gets to the final and she wins by like 15-0 and she told me, 'I finally feel like I belong in this sport.'"
What's even more impressive is the success has yet to throw her off her game. Guinn hasn't lost a match since 2019.
"She works outside of the gym and she's not afraid of competing," said Diego Bispo. He's the head instructor of the Diego Bispo Academy, where Guinn has trained for years. "She's always in a tournament, she's always challenging herself."
The 12-year-old grappler has felt the internal pressure to keep that streak going but is learning quickly that acclaim is found in more than just wins and losses.
"One of the things that stresses her is that she doesn't want to lose because she doesn't want to let the people who look up to her down," Kenneth said.
"At one of the recent competitions, it was one of my harder fights," Amelia said. "It felt really scary and I realized that I shouldn't be scared because I still have a long way to go."
Part of that journey now includes getting prepared for the first ADCC World Youth Championships, a tournament that features an elite group of 192 grapplers from ages 5-17 competing in Las Vegas.
It'll be her next chance to not only continue her streak, but to further her biggest priority.
"I want to inspire people, especially younger girls," Amelia said. "I want to show and I want to teach."
The ADCC World Youth Championships get going on August 16 at the T-Mobile Arena.
Amelia knows the spotlight it will provide, but she's also happy seeing the progress she's already made in a career that's just getting started.
"I think about how far I've come and how far I can go," she said, "I just feel calm. It feels like my home."
