Kayla Harrison

Kayla Harrison first made headlines when she became the third U.S. judoka to win the Junior World Championships in 2008, capturing the 78kg title in Bangkok after moving up from the 63kg division that same year. Despite her victory at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Judo in 2008, she could not compete in the Olympics as the U.S. had not qualified in her division. Harrison continued to excel, capturing a silver medal at the Junior World finals in 2009.

In 2010, Harrison achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first American woman to win a World Championship in judo in 26 years, remaining undefeated in five matches throughout the tournament. She ascended to the number one spot in world rankings and later clinched the gold medal in the women's 78 kg category at the 2016 Rio Olympics after defeating Audrey Tcheumeo of France. Harrison's victory in Rio marked her as the first American, male or female, to win two Olympic gold medals in judo, having previously triumphed in the 2012 London Olympics. She is also just the second American to win two Olympic medals in judo, alongside her coach, Olympic Bronze medalist Jimmy Pedro.

After retiring from Olympic competition, Harrison has been active both in and out of the sporting arena. She founded the Fearless Foundation to address and educate on child sexual abuse, drawing from her own experiences with abuse by a former coach. Harrison also transitioned to mixed martial arts, signing a contract to fight in the Professional Fighters League (PFL), where she competes in the women's lightweight division. Outside of her athletic pursuits, she serves on the Board of Directors of Doc Wayne, an organization that offers sports-based therapy for at-risk youth. She continues to use her platform to advocate for child protection and women's rights, earning recognition for her advocacy work, including the Women’s Sports Foundation’s Wilma Rudolph Courage Award and being named one of Glamour Magazine’s Women of the Year in 2012. Harrison and her fiancé, firefighter Aaron Handy, reside in Massachusetts.