Post by Caroline Machado on Aug 26, 2024 3:25:34 GMT
A 7:00 AM wake-up call.
Inside one of Tokyo's finest hotels, located in the Shinjuku area.
Caroline Machado slowly arose from her bed, eyes barely open as she stretched out her arms. Outside, the streets of Shinjuku were packed with travelers and workers, ready to get on with their daily lives. Inside, the room was quite a peaceful and serene place, decked out in a minimalist style that she admired.
The tour of Japan was coming to a close.
Yet in her heart, Caroline found herself feeling incomplete, as if a part of her life was missing something. As she trudged along inside her room and headed towards the bathroom, Caroline's mind was starting to pulsate with different thoughts. They were all mixed together, much like that spicy chicken and pork ramen she had for dinner the night before. Slowly, she stared at the small mirror that rested above her bathroom's sink, and instantly...those thoughts began to clear up. Inside her brain, she heard the same subliminal messages that often dogged her for years.
That she was too nice.
That she lacked personal ambition.
Caroline knew those thoughts very well, and it was from those little bits that helped move her along in life. She had traveled all over Japan, meeting and greetings scores of people along the way. Yet deep down in her heart, there was one person whom she felt especially comfortable with. She sighed to herself, wondering who that person might've been in a sea of thoughts.
At that moment, she pulled out her iPhone and opened up WhatsApp. With a bit of a perplexed look on her face, she saw only one name on her chat list. She felt confused, wondering whether or not it'd be safe to give him a call after all this time. Yet in her heart, Caroline realized that the right thing to do was to give a shot, to give this person a call or at least send him a text message.
She did the latter and sent it to the only person she had on her WhatsApp contact list.
Robert Allen Marshall.
---
"Hi!!!
I hope everyone has had a good summer. With school being back in session and the weather cooling down, I...I can only imagine that things are about to get crazier than ever before! Yet...I am sorry, sorry that I haven't been able to have many matches on the Imperial circuit within the past few months.
It's...it's okay, though.
I've had nothing else do to except to train, watch a little bit of Star Trek: The Next Gneration, and think. Think about where I have been, where I'm at now, and where I want to go from here. In life, I've often found myself looking at the signs to help guide me -- but I got lost.
Until I met people like James Gilmore and Fiona McFly. They helped me realize that there was so much more to this life than becoming a Champion. I am very proud of the people they have become -- and now, they've given me something far more meaningful than anything I could have ever imagined.
No matter how much I've struggled in my own life?
Starting a family, being a mentor to others...I want that to define me rather than anything I have ever earned in my life.
With that in my mind...that brings me to you first, Rini.
In many ways, you and I are so much alike. You don't have a mean or hurtful bone in your body. You have a free and cheerful spirit that helps guide you on your journey. You are a great example of what it means to control your own ambitions and make this match about the title itself and not your own personal goals. The world around us can be very competitive and often brutal, but time in and time out, you're not afraid to stand up for what you believe in.
You are, in effect, a sister to me.
After I was orphaned on September 11, 2001...I never thought I'd be part of a family. Yet just like what JJ or Fiona did to bring me into this sport, you've helped keep me in it! Pretty soon, there will be a day when people like you and I will pass on what we have learned to the next generation of women. The Gladiatorix Championship represents that fighting spirit -- where the past, present, and future come together.
No matter the odds. No matter the adversities.
Which brings me to you, Rosa.
I am very happy that you have chosen this path -- I really, really mean that. You live your life wearing your heart on your sleeve, and that's an admirable trait. I love the fact that you walk into this match with something to prove -- not just to others, but yourself as well. It's like...knowing that as we walk down the road, there's always gonna be a big dance ahead of you. To break barriers is a goal that many people often share.
Yet people doubt you simply because you aren't a 'traditional' woman in their eyes. As a woman myself, it bothers me that people are focused on the fact that you are trans, expecting you to be this monster who hurts other women for sport. Yet deep down, I...I am comforted in the fact that you choose to overcome those struggles and aspire to become more than just the sum of your own parts.
You hear the cry of the warrior, calling you to battle.
Your heart burns intensely, focused on the goal ahead.
In every way, I truly believe that you exhibit Rini's sisterhood and spirit. For in this life, we walk a fine between confiança e ego, and more often than not, we forget about what makes us into who we want to be. Yes, the opportunity of becoming the first Gladiatorix Champion has presented itself, but in the end -- when everything is settled -- that the greatest teacher in our life isn't necessarily one that will help you learn how to succeed through what we put on a wall!
Failure...that is the greatest teacher of all.
I know.
Jennie beat me two years ago to claim the Women's World title I struggled so mightily to EARN! I can tell you, from that experience, I felt...muito chateado. I was hurt. I was screaming -- it was an experience I've felt one other time, when my parents were killed on one of history's darkest days. At that moment, I realized that had I done so?
I'd be in a dark, dark place right now.
I would never have been the person I am right now.
Which brings me to YOU, Itami.
You are the very embodiment of what I could have been. Angry, bitter, spiteful...willing to do and say ANYTHING in order to hurt others. From my own eyes, I have seen what being a Champion in this business can do to people like Shelly Diamond. Despite all of the talent in the world, she let the moments get into her head and became bigger than the title itself. In your heart, I know that there's a woman inside of you that knows that she is so much better than the person on the outside!
You are a cautionary tale, Itami.
You talk about other people's failures, and yet...you fear failing YOURSELF. That's what drives you into matches like this, into these moments. You live in a world where pain is like pleasure to you, that you take great joy in hurting other people. I know that having to face you means that I'm going to get hurt. I know that in the end, that it'll be okay if I lose to you or Rini or Rosa.
I will never lose to fear. Never.
That's why I carry that picture with me -- as a reminder. A reminder that, no matter if I lose, I will stand my ground and be strong.
That's...what it truly means to be a Champion.
The first Gladiatorix Champion."
PROMO COUNT: 995
Inside one of Tokyo's finest hotels, located in the Shinjuku area.
Caroline Machado slowly arose from her bed, eyes barely open as she stretched out her arms. Outside, the streets of Shinjuku were packed with travelers and workers, ready to get on with their daily lives. Inside, the room was quite a peaceful and serene place, decked out in a minimalist style that she admired.
The tour of Japan was coming to a close.
Yet in her heart, Caroline found herself feeling incomplete, as if a part of her life was missing something. As she trudged along inside her room and headed towards the bathroom, Caroline's mind was starting to pulsate with different thoughts. They were all mixed together, much like that spicy chicken and pork ramen she had for dinner the night before. Slowly, she stared at the small mirror that rested above her bathroom's sink, and instantly...those thoughts began to clear up. Inside her brain, she heard the same subliminal messages that often dogged her for years.
That she was too nice.
That she lacked personal ambition.
Caroline knew those thoughts very well, and it was from those little bits that helped move her along in life. She had traveled all over Japan, meeting and greetings scores of people along the way. Yet deep down in her heart, there was one person whom she felt especially comfortable with. She sighed to herself, wondering who that person might've been in a sea of thoughts.
At that moment, she pulled out her iPhone and opened up WhatsApp. With a bit of a perplexed look on her face, she saw only one name on her chat list. She felt confused, wondering whether or not it'd be safe to give him a call after all this time. Yet in her heart, Caroline realized that the right thing to do was to give a shot, to give this person a call or at least send him a text message.
She did the latter and sent it to the only person she had on her WhatsApp contact list.
Robert Allen Marshall.
---
"Hi!!!
I hope everyone has had a good summer. With school being back in session and the weather cooling down, I...I can only imagine that things are about to get crazier than ever before! Yet...I am sorry, sorry that I haven't been able to have many matches on the Imperial circuit within the past few months.
It's...it's okay, though.
I've had nothing else do to except to train, watch a little bit of Star Trek: The Next Gneration, and think. Think about where I have been, where I'm at now, and where I want to go from here. In life, I've often found myself looking at the signs to help guide me -- but I got lost.
Until I met people like James Gilmore and Fiona McFly. They helped me realize that there was so much more to this life than becoming a Champion. I am very proud of the people they have become -- and now, they've given me something far more meaningful than anything I could have ever imagined.
No matter how much I've struggled in my own life?
Starting a family, being a mentor to others...I want that to define me rather than anything I have ever earned in my life.
With that in my mind...that brings me to you first, Rini.
In many ways, you and I are so much alike. You don't have a mean or hurtful bone in your body. You have a free and cheerful spirit that helps guide you on your journey. You are a great example of what it means to control your own ambitions and make this match about the title itself and not your own personal goals. The world around us can be very competitive and often brutal, but time in and time out, you're not afraid to stand up for what you believe in.
You are, in effect, a sister to me.
After I was orphaned on September 11, 2001...I never thought I'd be part of a family. Yet just like what JJ or Fiona did to bring me into this sport, you've helped keep me in it! Pretty soon, there will be a day when people like you and I will pass on what we have learned to the next generation of women. The Gladiatorix Championship represents that fighting spirit -- where the past, present, and future come together.
No matter the odds. No matter the adversities.
Which brings me to you, Rosa.
I am very happy that you have chosen this path -- I really, really mean that. You live your life wearing your heart on your sleeve, and that's an admirable trait. I love the fact that you walk into this match with something to prove -- not just to others, but yourself as well. It's like...knowing that as we walk down the road, there's always gonna be a big dance ahead of you. To break barriers is a goal that many people often share.
Yet people doubt you simply because you aren't a 'traditional' woman in their eyes. As a woman myself, it bothers me that people are focused on the fact that you are trans, expecting you to be this monster who hurts other women for sport. Yet deep down, I...I am comforted in the fact that you choose to overcome those struggles and aspire to become more than just the sum of your own parts.
You hear the cry of the warrior, calling you to battle.
Your heart burns intensely, focused on the goal ahead.
In every way, I truly believe that you exhibit Rini's sisterhood and spirit. For in this life, we walk a fine between confiança e ego, and more often than not, we forget about what makes us into who we want to be. Yes, the opportunity of becoming the first Gladiatorix Champion has presented itself, but in the end -- when everything is settled -- that the greatest teacher in our life isn't necessarily one that will help you learn how to succeed through what we put on a wall!
Failure...that is the greatest teacher of all.
I know.
Jennie beat me two years ago to claim the Women's World title I struggled so mightily to EARN! I can tell you, from that experience, I felt...muito chateado. I was hurt. I was screaming -- it was an experience I've felt one other time, when my parents were killed on one of history's darkest days. At that moment, I realized that had I done so?
I'd be in a dark, dark place right now.
I would never have been the person I am right now.
Which brings me to YOU, Itami.
You are the very embodiment of what I could have been. Angry, bitter, spiteful...willing to do and say ANYTHING in order to hurt others. From my own eyes, I have seen what being a Champion in this business can do to people like Shelly Diamond. Despite all of the talent in the world, she let the moments get into her head and became bigger than the title itself. In your heart, I know that there's a woman inside of you that knows that she is so much better than the person on the outside!
You are a cautionary tale, Itami.
You talk about other people's failures, and yet...you fear failing YOURSELF. That's what drives you into matches like this, into these moments. You live in a world where pain is like pleasure to you, that you take great joy in hurting other people. I know that having to face you means that I'm going to get hurt. I know that in the end, that it'll be okay if I lose to you or Rini or Rosa.
I will never lose to fear. Never.
That's why I carry that picture with me -- as a reminder. A reminder that, no matter if I lose, I will stand my ground and be strong.
That's...what it truly means to be a Champion.
The first Gladiatorix Champion."
PROMO COUNT: 995
Well howdy there pardner.