Amanda Leve with Black Belt Professor Ricardo Almeida
Know the history of Amanda Leve. She is a teenager, 16 year old, full of hopes and dreams. She is in High School like most girls at her age and loves martial arts such as Wrestling, Jiu Jitsu and Muay Thai. In Philadelphia, Amanda studies under GMA Ricardo Almeida. She trains twice a day, most days of the week and she is involved in anti-bullying programs to help empower people.
Amanda who is a Catholic school junior at Archbishop Ryan High School in Philadelphia, hopes to get a college scholarship for wrestling. Her goal is to become a professional mix-martial arts athlete in the UFC.
Recently, Amanda and her family started a campaign online to convince her school to allow her join the wrestling team and to compete. “It’s not fair that being a girl denies me the opportunity to compete at school despite having years of experience in mixed-martial arts.” She claims.
All Amanda wants now is an equal opportunity to wrestle in school, but the Archdiocese of Philadelphia says no. According to Amanda “The Archdiocese used similar excuses before like how certain sports aren’t meant for girls and that there is intimate and inappropriate touching”. So it’s clear that the big issue is that she can’t because she is a girl.
“I’ll have to work my way up over time to be a champion, but my biggest challenges should come inside the cage from my opponents, not from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and my school!” she says.
Amanda is asking for our help to sign her Change.org petition to fight for equality and increase her chances of making the wrestling team. This November will be the inaugural season for her school’s wrestling team. She says the Archdiocese will meet in April to discuss this, but what good does that do after the season is over?
“I need your help now. Will you stand in my corner? Please sign and share to support my petition for equality!” She wrote on her page. (http://www.change.org/petitions/let-girls-wrestle-equality-for-amanda-leve)
This is her petition:
“To:
Please let Amanda Leve wrestle. She’s a highly trained athlete who deserves to be treated as an equal. Don’t discriminate against her just because she’s a young woman. Change your unfair rules, and allow Amanda Leve and other girls to compete.
Sincerely, [Your name]”
