Katie Williamson recently won second place in a jiujitsu competition in her weight division and now wears her silver medal with pride.

Two years ago, she had never even heard of jiujitsu and never would have thought of this kind of victory. But then a frightening situation changed everything. Thankfully, she escaped unharmed, but she wanted to learn how to defend herself.

"I promised myself I would never again be in a situation where my safety depended on someone else's morality," she said.

Williamson is the professional development and wellness coordinator for Organizational Excellence. She said everything she does has an element of personal growth.

"I have developed so many friends because my job allows me to be out working in different departments," she said. "I love when I get to help people better understand themselves and have those 'ah-ha' moments."

Williamson first tried jiujitsu when the campus wellness program offered it as a self-defense class last fall.

"We only offered the jiujitsu and self-defense classes for four weeks, and by the time they were done, I was hooked and wanted to keep training," she said. "I joined a gym on my own, and the journey began."

For the first four to five months, Williamson trained an average of about one or two times per week. Then in March 2018, she increased her training to three times week.

"It was such an intense workout, my body would be sore for days, and it was tough to push through and just make those three days of training," she said.

Ready to take it to the next level, Williamson decided she wanted to compete. Now she's at the gym six or more times a week training in the early mornings before work, evenings during the week, Saturdays and usually Sundays.

"It's crazy to look back over the last year at where I started and how far I've come as I continued pushing the bar a little more and a little more and a little more," she said. "Three days a week used to make me so sore, now I can't imagine only training that few of days."

What she loves about jiujitsu is the human puzzle in which strategy and skill always have to be shifting.

"I train with people at all belt levels, so I'm constantly learning new things and being given opportunities to push harder and grow," she said. "It's an interesting dynamic and bond/friendship that forms when you're fighting and attacking someone and challenging each other to get better and better, and also looking out for each other and keeping each other safe at the same time."

As she committed to training, Williamson started seeing all sorts of parallels between the things she was learning on the mat to life off the mat.

"Things like learning how to dig deeper and fight when you feel like you have nothing else left to give," she said, "or refusing to give up or give in when you're in a bad position and fighting your way back out, or the tremendous strength in standing with people who you know will always protect you and always push you to be better and better, or what you can achieve when you go all in with something and stay committed, dedicated and disciplined."

The team she trains with now, Elite Visalia, sent 21 competitors to the international Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation Orange County Open tournament on Feb. 9. Her team placed sixth out of 85 at the tournament.

The people she's met keep her committed.

"They are all amazing, and I have made some truly incredible friends in my training partners," she said.

Training has awakened the “warrior-goddess” spirit that’s always been inside, she noted. This dedication, drive and discipline gave her the courage to follow a childhood dream.

"Ever since I was little I have wanted to be an author, and in the fall I finished writing my first book that is in the process of being published," she said. "It's called, 'I'm Here, God. Where Are You?' and is the story of my faith journey of finding God over the past 20 years."

Williamson said she's always been drawn to discovering the deeper meaning of things and how spirituality and belief systems factor into people's motivations and decisions.

On campus for nearly 13 years, Williamson started as a Fresno State student in 2006. She has a B.A. in psychology, minor in communicative disorders (now known as communicative sciences and deaf studies) and certificate in applied behavior analysis. She earned an M.A. in kinesiology with an emphasis in sport psychology.

A recipient of the Smittcamp Family Honors scholarship and the President's Graduate Scholarship, Williamson was also the Dean's Medalist for the College of Health and Human Services in 2012.

In addition to working at Fresno State, Williamson has also worked as a behavior coach for Wellspring Academy and Wellspring Summer Camps. She also worked many summers at a Christian summer camp outside of Santa Cruz.

On campus, Williamson is on numerous committees: STAR Day (chair), Women's Campus Connection, Partnership for Healthier America, Occupational Safety Health and Wellness, CAIFE (Creativity And Innovation For Effectiveness) and serves as a committee member for a graduate student's final project. She also mentors one staff member and two students. Williamson recently transitioned out of her role as chair of the Staff Assembly Executive Committee, a position she held for the past four years.

When not at work or training, Williamson spends her down time with friends and family and her 6-year-old shiba inu named Lola.