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school of hard knocks
I’m a primary school teacher who’s turning pro at MMA – I get big black eyes but the kids love it
Teacher opened up on her exhausting 15-hour days
TEACHER Gemma Auld is from the school of hard knocks as she juggles a career in the classroom and cage.
Auld is an amateur MMA champion braced to make her professional debut on September 28 at the famed Hydro Arena in Glasgow.
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But when she is not learning her craft in the gym, the Scot is the one dishing out the lessons to a classroom of ten and 11-year-olds.
Auld only began training at 27 after joining a Muay Thai gym to use the weights room.
One thing led to another and she found herself in one of the classes.
Before long, she was doing jujitsu and eventually MMA and after five years of combat training - she got into the cage for her first bout.
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Auld, 33, told SunSport: "It wasn’t something I ever wanted to do or anything. It just kind of happened. And I’m glad it did!”
The flyweight raced to six straight wins in just ten months of action and collected amateur titles.
But anticipating a struggle to get fights in the amateur code, Auld decided to turn over when the Professional Fighters League came calling.
She said: “I had an idea that I was going to have to go pro pretty quickly.
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“And then this opportunity to come up with PFL which was amazing and there was no way I would say no to that, so here we are.”
Life as a teacher-turned fighter is "not easy" explained Auld as she ran down her 15-hour days.
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It includes getting into work at 7.30am, leaving for the gym at 5pm and not getting home until gone 10pm.
She laughed: "So it's pretty full on. But I absolutely love my job. It's hard work, but it's great."
Auld's impact has even seen some of her pupils - especially the girls - join their local kids' Muay Thai classes and become MMA super-fans.
She said: "They were watching all my fights on YouTube and coming in and talking about it. So it was really cute.
"Some of them like to watch UFC and stuff as well. They're just that wee bit older now that they can kind of get it, and they understand what I'm doing.
“I think quite a few of them started to get into it, especially the girls, which was nice to see because it tends to be the boys that are like into fighting, and they all think it's dead cool.
They were watching all my fights on YouTube and coming in and talking about it. So it was really cute.
School teacher and MMA fighter Gemma Auld
“But I've noticed some of the girls going away and watching the fights and coming in and asking me about it and stuff. It's cute.”
Auld has a classroom of her biggest supporters, who are along for the ride from every bump and bruise she takes along the way.
She said: "I've got a picture of them all with every belt I’ve won. So it's really cool.
“Actually, the first day when it got announced that I was signing with the PFL, they were the first people that I told because it was an afternoon when I was working.
“I'd obviously told a few friends and stuff but when it got announced, I showed them the poster and everything, and they were all dead excited.
“So that was lovely to share that with them because they've been a huge part of my journey.
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“And obviously sometimes when I'm in, I'm going to be doing water loads or coming in with a black eye and stuff.
“So I like to share it with them so they get it because it's important that they know as well that I've got a life outside of being a teacher and they see the discipline and stuff.”
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