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“This is my second year doing it,” Namajunas said, her face lighting up after changing the topic from training to her newfound love. “Gardening has always given me a very similar, if not more of a sense of control over my life, the same way martial arts has always kind of fulfilled for me. It gives me something to look forward to, gives me something to feel good about, and on top of that, being in the community and talking with neighbors and things like that, it’s a huge blessing for me.”
Tending to her double wide plot in a community garden outside of Denver — ironically named the Rose Roots Community Garden — has given Namajunas a sense of purpose outside of martial arts, growing and harvesting her own food and giving her something to focus her efforts on outside of her time spent with coach Trevor Wittman.
“Sometimes it can be a little challenging, obviously, balancing the training and everything like that. Maybe I miss a water here and there, but that’s just like everything. You’ve got to balance and prioritize things,” Namajunas said. “When I do go there, I’m always happy that I do. Even if getting up for it might suck every once in a while; once I’m there, my soul is fulfilled.”
While the two activities couldn’t be more different, Rose managed to look, feel and exude almost identical energy picking banana peppers, broccoli sprouts, and her favorite: kale, in her garden as she does drilling deafening kicks in training.
With a new hobby and a new approach to her mindset while wearing the strawweight crown, Namajunas’ presence atop the strawweight division has transcended the time and space that exists only in the Octagon.