PHAIDRA KNIGHT
Rugby 7s will debut in its first ever Olympics next summer in Rio de Janeiro, and hoping to be right there with it is professional rugby player Phaidra Knight. Hailing from small-town Georgia, the athlete has competed in CrossFit Games, Strongman and bobsled-but it´s rugby in which she´s made a name for herself as one of the top players in the world, appearing three times at the Rugby World Cup. “The initial draw to rugby was the freedom for me to not only express my deeply seated aggressions as a woman, as a woman of color, as a woman coming to terms with my sexuality in an accepting environment, but to also express my power dynamically by moving myself and others within a physical context,” she says. In addition to her career as a sports agent/lawyer who represents and manages other athletes and talent, Knight is coaching younger athletes, which she says “brings joy to my heart and happiness to my soul.” As a Nike brand ambassador, she has channeled her recognition into the issues of women´s fitness and childhood obesity. She also does motivational speaking on topics such as bullying, diversity and leadership, drawing from her own experience being out. “It takes massive courage to be ´you´ and live comfortably in your own skin,” she says. “For me, it has been a process and continues to be each day.” -SJ
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