Souza does it again! Local teen earns gold at Pan American Kids

Olympians aren’t the only wins racking up gold medals.

On July 26, jiujitsu competitor Sarah Souza won gold in the Pan American Kids Jiu Jitsu IBJJF Championship, which was held in Orlando.

“I have competed in Pan Americans for five years making the podium, but never placing first,” gold winner Souza said.

Souza was able to submit her opponent with an arm bar and snag her third gold medal in less than two months.

Her win puts her at the number-one spot for the world heavyweight rankings in her class and in the top five overall female teens in the world.

According to the tournament website, the Pan American Kids Jiu Jitsu IBJJF Championship is one of the largest kid's jiu-jitsu tournaments in the world with more than 3,000 students age 4-15 from around the world coming together to compete.

“I cried when she won,” professor Daniel Souza said. "It feels amazing to see how her hard work, sweat and tears pays off. The most important thing is watching Sarah build up her confidence in the possibility of winning gold. She has heart, and she loves the sport.”

Besides being her professor, and jiujitsu mentor, Daniel is also her stepfather.

“After this win, I definitely experienced a boost in confidence, which is what I needed from the start," Sarah Souza said. "I feel incredibly proud of myself and very happy. I am grateful for my parents, who have always been supportive of my passion in jiujitsu."

Sarah’s next competition will come at the IBJJF Jiu Jitsu Con 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Stay tuned to rrobserver.com or the Jiu-Jitsu Con website for details on future tournament dates.