Biography

She’s name is Alanis Santiago and she is 17 years old. She was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico. She lived in PR for 13 years until her parents decided to move to Florida to seek better life opportunities. She has been living in FL for 4 years now. When she first moved here, she had no hobbies; all she did was attend school. When she was 15, her mother suggested that she try Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in order to stay physically and mentally healthy. She decided to take the opportunity, but she had to admit, she did not enjoy BJJ when she first started.

she often became frustrated and angry with herself because she felt unteachable. After training for 2 months, she decided to compete. she lost, and she hated it, but that loss shaped her into the great athlete that she is today.

After 6 months of training, she received her green belt, and 6 months after that, she received her blue belt. she has been training BJJ for 2 years, and it is the best decision she had ever made. BJJ has not only helped her physically but also emotionally. She is also a kid’s instructor which has taught for her that patience plays a big role in their lives. BJJ has taught her to be persistent and to never stop working towards your goals even if it feels like you are going to collapse because in the end, it will all be worth it.

Accomplishments:

- Gold 2018 UAEJJF National Pro Orlando
- Double Gold 2018BJJ Tour FL
- Gold 2018 ADCC Open Florida
- Silver 2018 IBJJ Atlanta Winter IO
- Bronze 2017 IBJJF World Championship
- Double Gold 2017 IBJJF Atlanta Spring IO
- Double Gold 2017 IBJJF Miami Spring IO No-Gi
- Double Gold 2017 Orlando Copa America Grappling Championship No-Gi
- Double Gold 2017 Orlando M.M.A.C. Grappling Championship
- Double Gold 2017 Orlando M.M.A.C. Grappling Championship No-Gi
- Double Gold 2017 Orlando NAGA Grappling Championship
- Double Gold 2017 Orlando NAGA Grappling Championship No-Gi
- Double Gold 2017 Leleo Code Superfight
- American Combat League 4 Superfight Champion
- Silver 2017 FFBJJ State Championship
- Silver 2017 Orlando BJJ Tour
- Double Gold 2016 Orlando NAGA Grappling Championship
- Double Gold 2016 Orlando New Breed Ultimate Challenge
- Double Gold 2016 Orlando New Breed Ultimate Challenge No-GI

Q&A Session Between Alanis Coral Santiago and Elite Sports

Question: What inspires you about BJJ? MMA?

Answer: What most inspires me about BJJ is the never-ending opportunity to learn. Every day I learn something new, and that’s how it will be forever. I also love the BJJ community; seeing everyone share the same passion is wonderful.

Question: Who inspires you, past or present? Why do they inspire you?

Answer: Someone who inspires me is Nicole Evangelista who is currently a purple belt under CTA. She inspires me because she has been able to accomplish great milestones in BJJ while going to college. She inspires me to not give up and shows that just like her, I can also find a balance.

Question: What are your goals for this year? Next 3 years? Next 5 years?

Answer: My goals for this year is to become a world champion in the adult lightweight division. In the next three years, my goal is to be a well-known purple belt. In the next five years, my goal is to compete in different countries (Brazil, Portugal, etc), and become a champion in my divisions.

Question: How long have you been training?

Answer: I have been training for 2 years and 1 month.

Question: How often do you train?

Answer: I train 6 days of the week. Six days of BJJ and three days of Crossfit. To balance it out, I flow roll and drill the days that I train Crossfit.

Question: Any major accomplishments you’ve been able to achieve in that time?

Answer: In that time, I won many championships, but most importantly I placed third in my very first world championship. I also placed first in my first competition as an adult (USA UAEJJF WORLD PRO).

Question: Do you have a go-to finishing move?

Answer: My go-to finishing move is the kimura, but I keep an open mind for any other finishes.

Question: What do you think it takes to be a champion in your sports?

Answer: I think that in order to be a champion in BJJ, you MUST want it bad enough. I think that many people say that they want to be champions but refuse to do the work of a champion. Becoming a champion requires hard work, dedication, and a strong mindset.

Question: What sort of gear do you usually keep in your gym bag before hitting the gym? Do you have different items for specific days?

Answer: In my gym bag, I have extra gym clothes, sandals, my gi and belt, finger tape, hairbrushes and hair ties, ibuprofen, BCAAs, wrist wraps, CrossFit shoes, hand sanitizer, and body wipes. Even though I don’t use all of these things every day, I keep them for when I do need them.