Thalia Martinez Competes

by georgina arias ávila

“I chose wrestling because I used to watch my father participate in military Jiu-Jitsu tournaments
​and wrestling matches,” she said.

At just 17 years old, Thalia Martinez surprises everyone with her talent in wrestling and Jiu-Jitsu. In 2025, Thalia is an undefeated wrestler with a 31-0 record.

She has been practicing wrestling for six years. “I chose wrestling because I used to watch my father participate in military Jiu-Jitsu tournaments and wrestling matches,” she said.

Thalia has participated in Jiu-Jitsu and wrestling tournaments from seventh grade through her senior year. She placed fourth in wrestling three times during her freshman, sophomore, and junior years at Lathrop High School. Recently, she won the Rich Hofacker Invitational and Lancer Smith wrestling tournaments.

“My goal is to try to be among the top three in the state of Alaska this year, hopefully in first place. First, you win the mental battle, and that’s how you go out and win. It’s okay to lose, but you can’t lose to fear.”
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Thalia has also achieved significant success in Jiu-Jitsu. She placed third twice in the Alaskan state tournament for this martial art, in 2017 and 2018. “I won the Alaskan State Jiu-Jitsu Tournament in 2019.”

Martínez was born in California at Fort Irwin military base. Her heart belongs to Alaska, which she considers home. She is a straight-A student and dreams of attending cosmetology school and, in the future, owning her own eyelash extension business.

Thalia enjoys traveling with her teammates to tournaments, and sometimes her father, Richard, pays her when she places first. Her mother, Maribel, is of Mexican descent, from Iztapalapa. She has a sister, Tatiana.