The Alex Glaudé Story: Heartbreak and Glory
Photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo / WrestlersAreWarriors.com
Alex Glaudé moments after she won bronze at U23 Worlds in 2018. Photo courtesy of Team USA / Martin Gabor of UWW
by Derek Levendusky
Twitter: @AWWderek
To anyone who is a fan of women’s wrestling, Beaver Dam RTC’s Alexandria “Alex” Glaudé is no stranger. She’s been on the scene for years, racking up accolades in college and in USA Wrestling on the domestic and world stage. A 2x national champion for McKendree University and a 2018 U23 bronze medalist, she’s become one of the top senior level talents, currently ranked #2 at 68 kg in FloWrestling’s Women’s Freestyle Rankings.
But Glaudé’s journey to the top came out of a chapter of pain in her life; pain that has shaped her as a person, an athlete, and formed her faith.
Born and raised in Northern California, she grew up in a large Filipino-American family marked by a culture of loyalty and love. “My family is huge,” said Glaudé. “While my technical nuclear family is smaller, I grew up with all of my extended family as close immediate family. At one point in my life, we had 16 people in one house—my grandparents, my mom and her three sisters, a couple uncles, my stepdad, my siblings, and my cousins! While aunts and uncles have moved out, I've always lived with my grandparents growing up and our house was central for the family. A regular Friday night get together is between 15-30 people and my family loves getting together. My grandma and her siblings value keeping the family close so over the years, we gather with our extended family on a yearly basis and talk often.”
It was this environment that shaped her character and faith, and from which emerges her story.
Glaudé’s Instagram bio displays a quote from St. Catherine of Siena, which reads, “Be who God called you to be and set the world ablaze.” But sometimes who we’re called to be is shaped by the circumstances we walk through. The beauty of the world Glaudé knew was shattered in 2004 when tragedy struck her family.
FAMILY TRAGEDY
She woke up one morning to find her mother trembling and in tears. Then came the words that broke her heart.
“Daddy is in heaven now.”
At 26-years-old, her father was murdered. Alexander Glaudé, a loving father whose talents were found in a music studio, not on the mat, was gone from her life in a moment.
Alexandria was 7-years-old.
“My world was rocked when I found out…I struggled to grasp that reality,” remembers Glaudé. “I knew what she meant but I did not want to believe her. I cried and cried. I still remember my grandpa putting food in front of me trying to get me to eat but I couldn't. The next several weeks were even harder. We went to court, we worked with detectives; we went to the crime scene. I saw a lot of things that were difficult to comprehend as a little girl. Undoubtedly, this shaped me and how I would see the world from that moment on.”
Armed with her faith in God, that little girl walked out into that world and began a new chapter in her life.
“I KEPT MY WORD”
When Glaudé entered high school, some friends encouraged her to try wrestling, but Glaudé wanted to play basketball.
“I had two friends in band who were on the wrestling team encouraging me to come out and try,” Glaudé explains. “I was playing basketball at the time, despite being way too short and stalky, but I had hoop dreams! I told my friends if I got cut from basketball I would join wrestling—though, I did not actually think I would get cut from the team. The next day, I was cut from the basketball team and showed up to wrestling practice—I kept my word!”
Starting her career as a sophomore, Glaudé would go on to take 2nd at the California State Championships as a junior and 3rd as a senior. She also took 4th at Body Bar Women’s Nationals while still in high school and became an All-American at Fargo with a 7th place finish.
Her development accelerated at McKendree under Coach Sam Schmitz, where she had a six-year career that included being a part of two team titles at NWCA National Duals. During this time the accolades started piling up, making a Junior World team in 2017, a U23 World team in 2018 where she won the bronze, and making the Final X finals in 2019. After her college career ended, she moved off to Oregon to join the Beaver Dam RTC at Oregon State University, where she’s made two Senior National Teams, took 4th at the Olympic Trials last year, and won the 2021 Pan Am Championships.
HER FATHER’S MEMORY
Her father, a UC San Diego grad, loved music and before his death had aspirations to start his own music school for underprivileged kids in his neighborhood and provide opportunities for those in need. He would let his daughter Alex play around on the keyboard and create raps for her.
Glaudé knows her father would be proud to see her work hard and achieve something she loved. His memory inspires her grit and confidence on the mat. “My dad was in no way perfect, but knowing that about him makes me appreciate the good memories of him much more,” says Glaudé. “He never let anyone disrespect him and he was willing to do anything to get what he wanted. In the few years I had with him, there's a few things he repeated to me often—always walk with your chest up, don't drag your feet when you walk, don't let people talk down to you, and speak up. I took on a lot of my mom's gentle nature and approach to life but in moments where I struggle with confidence and feeling small, I think about my dad and how his presence in a room demanded attention…If my dad was here, I think he'd be a lot tougher on me in moments during wrestling where I don't believe in myself. I definitely want to emulate my dad in that way, that confidence and belief that I can achieve anything.”
She needed that grit in Bucharest, Romania, when she won the U23 bronze in 2018. Climbing back from a 5-point deficit, she was still down with 8.5 seconds on the clock. “I had my college coach Sam Schmitz in my corner yelling, ‘Double leg! You gotta go! Trust it! You gotta go! Go now!’ I'll never forget the feeling of my body taking over, hitting a peek out that I had only practiced a couple times, being brought up thinking I'm out of time and my body taking over…level change…feet to back double leg for 4 points! I remember being in total shock and disbelief. It was an exhilarating feeling going from loss to overcoming in a span of seconds—looking over to the corner seeing Terry [Steiner] and Sam celebrating and just feeling so warm and accomplished. I struggled with disbelief for a while and that was one moment where I finally trusted myself and made it happen. It was such a special moment in my career that I will never forget.”
GLAUDÉ’S CATHOLIC-CHRISTIAN FAITH
Her family tragedy, her mother’s influence, and her wrestling career have deepened her faith in God. “Without my faith in God, I don't know where my life would be at this point,” she tells. “Even before my dad's death, my mom helped me develop my relationship with God early on. We used to wake up before the sunset and pray the rosary together and meditate. After he died, my mom made sure to help me understand that my dad was my dad on earth but God the Father is my Father who is with me always. When I was little, she always told me that my dad was with God and if I was spending time with God I got to spend time with both of my dads. I got into the habit of talking to God daily and seeing him work in every part of my life.”
This strong faith would help her embrace the grind of wrestling, persevere through the hardships, and set high goals. One of the Bible verses that motivates her is when Jesus said, “Amen, I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you” (Matthew 17:20).
Glaudé also has advice for young athletes, especially those who have to rise out of adversity to pursue their dreams. “It takes courage to be freely who you are,” she says. “Experience the fullness of both the highs and lows of life. Understand that adversity is not a punishment even though at times it may feel like it. Just as quickly as your heart can break, love will mend it and joy will rebuild you. Allow yourself to dream & believe that it is possible for you. Do hard things, take risks, and find confidence in being imperfect. Find something that grounds you whether that be faith in God or something else.”
Glaudé recently married her high school sweetheart, David Mickle. He’s now a research biologist at Oregon State. Glaudé will take his name after she retires from wrestling.
She wasn’t supposed to be named “Alex.” “After I was born, my mom was still unconscious so my dad stepped in a named me after him,” she explains. “When my mom woke up, I was Alexandria Glaudé named after Alexander Glaudé. It brings me peace now that I’m older knowing that I can redirect the legacy for Alex Glaudé.”