Mara Kelly Coaching

Starting 2026 in a great way with in Valencia, training 💫

Trying to observe your life while fully in the moment sounds like it should be simple. After all, you're never anywhere but in the present moment. But for me, staying aware of the meaning of my experiences as they happen can feel like the struggle we all know of holding on to a dream as we wake up.

​I'll always be grateful that life brought Shauna and me together. Now that we're so close, I like to joke about how we spent the first six months of knowing each other just calling ourselves "training partners." We didn't even realize it at the time, but it was obvious we had become friends.

​So when we look at the reasons behind rituals, traditions, and ceremonies, they can sometimes seem frivolous. But at their core, their purpose likely all started with the need for a tool to capture reminders of life's most meaningful moments.

​Because of the ritual of belt promotions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, I will always remember Shauna as the first person I ever promoted. She was my main training partner as I prepared for every major tournament I've medaled in, and she is someone I've cried with through the high and low points of life. We've helped each other to progress as people in a positive way. To me, that represents the best of what a training partner can be. Yes, a training partner can help you develop your athletic skills. But when you both want nothing but the best for each other, you build a symbiotic relationship that reaches the deeper levels of life. Thank you, Shauna, for the impact you have had on my life, and thank you for trusting me to help shape your story as well.

Leading up to Worlds this year has been a completely new experience for me. It's the most present and grateful I've ever felt to simply be doing what I'm doing. I won my first fight by straight arm bar then went into the second to fight literally the best woman in the world for the division. The old me would have been self deprecating before the fight, but all I felt now was excitement and gratitude. I came up short in my second fight and lost via choke, which always sucks, but through that I felt nothing but energy and excitement about the direction I'm going.

When you feel so much joy being on those competition mats, your time is only a matter of time. Thank you to everyone who supports me, you all make it worth it!



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A savage end to our second week 😊.

Thank you .jiujitsu for hosting us and for running such great training and giving us your time!


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Orlando 💚