Fredia Gibbs facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fredia Gibbs |
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Gibbs in 2018
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| Born | July 8, 1963 Chester, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Other names | Cheetah / Lady Jack Johnson |
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) |
| Weight | 135 lb (61 kg; 9.6 st) |
| Division | Lightweight Welterweight |
| Reach | 70.0 in (178 cm) |
| Style | Boxing, Muay Thai Kickboxing |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Fighting out of | North Hollywood, California, U.S. |
| Team | Muay Thai Academy of North Hollywood |
| Trainer | Kickboxing: Saekson Janjira, David Krapes, Ruben Urquidez, Boxing: Randy Shields, Terry Claybon, Bill Slayton |
| Rank | black belt in Taekwondo |
| Years active | 1975-2005 |
| Professional boxing record | |
| Total | 12 |
| Wins | 9 |
| Losses | 2 |
| Draws | 1 |
| Kickboxing record | |
| Total | 17 |
| Wins | 16 |
| By knockout | 15 |
| Losses | 0 |
| Draws | 1 |
Fredia "The Cheetah" Gibbs, born on July 8, 1963, is an American athlete. She is famous for being a professional kickboxer and boxer. She also played basketball in Europe. Fredia competed in sports from 1975 to 2005.
During her kickboxing career, Fredia won three world titles. These titles were from the ISKA, WKA, and WKF. She was the first African-American woman to become an undefeated World Kickboxing Champion for the ISKA. In 1994, she became very well known. This happened after she beat the World Champion Valérie Wiet-Henin from France. This big fight was called "Battle of the Masters." Fredia Gibbs became one of the best champions in kickboxing. She had an amazing record of 16 wins, 0 losses, and 15 knockouts. She also won three world titles. After kickboxing, she became a professional boxer. From 1997 to 2005, she had 9 wins, 2 losses, and 1 draw in boxing.
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Early Life and Nickname
Fredia Gibbs was born in Chester, Pennsylvania. When she was in school, people started calling her "The Cheetah." This was because she was very fast in track and field events. Her high school, Chester High School, even named their track team "Chester's Cheetahs" after her.
After high school, Fredia went to Temple University in Philadelphia. She received two scholarships for her athletic skills in basketball and track. She also attended Cabrini University on a basketball scholarship. She studied marketing there. Fredia was invited to try out for the United States women's national basketball team. She was a Kodak All-American for three years in a row for basketball. Later, she played professional basketball in Germany. She was a top player, scoring many points and rebounds each season.
Starting Martial Arts
Fredia Gibbs began learning martial arts at a school called Quiet Storm Martial Arts. Her uncle encouraged her to learn. This was to help her feel more confident and strong. She had been bullied, and martial arts helped her feel better about herself. Her uncle was part of a group of skilled martial artists. Every Saturday, Fredia would train with her uncle. She became very good and earned a black belt in Jeet Kune Do/Aikido.
She continued to train and compete while in high school and college. By the time she graduated from Cabrini, she had won three world championships in Tae Kwon Do. She won her last World Championship in St. Petersburg, Florida. She beat a champion who had never lost before. Fredia was amazing because she was a World Champion in martial arts. At the same time, she was also an All-American in basketball and track.
Professional Basketball Career
Fredia Gibbs played basketball from age 12 until 1990. She was known for helping struggling teams become champions. In high school, she helped her team go from not winning any games to becoming division and district champions. She was named All-County, All-State, and All-American. She is still Chester High School's top scorer with 1,706 points.
In 1981, she received scholarships for basketball and track at Temple University. She later went to Cabrini University on a basketball scholarship. She helped make their women's basketball program much better. Fredia is still Cabrini's all-time leading scorer with 2,395 points. She also had 901 rebounds, 680 assists, and 318 steals. In 1987, she was the only player in Cabrini's history to be named a Kodak All-American.
After college, in 1988, she played professional basketball in Europe for two years. She played for a team called Etzella in Luxembourg. She helped her team win their first European Cup. She was a star player, averaging 28 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists per game.
Professional Kickboxing Career
In 1990, Fredia moved to North Hollywood, California. She started kickboxing at The Jet Kickboxing Training Center. She learned from great trainers like Lilly Rodriguez Urquidez and David Krapes. Later, she studied Muay Thai Kickboxing. She trained with Sur Puk and Saekson Janjira. Before this, she had studied Tae Kwon Do, Jeet Kune Do, and Aikido in Pennsylvania.
Fredia had an amazing kickboxing record of 16 wins, 0 losses, and 1 draw. She won 15 of her fights by knockout. Her only draw was in a special exhibition fight against a male opponent. On April 14, 1994, she beat Valerie Henin from France. This fight was called "The Battle of the Masters." Fredia won the ISKA World Championship. This made her the first African-American woman to hold a world kickboxing championship.
Professional Boxing Career
In 1997, Fredia Gibbs started boxing professionally. Her boxing record was 9 wins, 2 losses, and 1 draw. She had her first boxing match on January 23, 1997. She won that fight. She had a title fight against Leah Mellinger. At that time, Fredia was also filming a movie called Knockout. The busy film schedule and travel made it hard for her. She lost that fight, which was her first loss in boxing. Fredia said this loss made her train even harder.
On January 15, 1999, Fredia beat Hannah Fox, who was a popular fighter from Las Vegas. This fight was shown live on ESPN2. On November 16, 2001, Fredia had a big fight for the WIBA world title against Sumya Anani. They fought for ten exciting rounds, and the fight ended in a draw. This meant the title was still empty. They had a rematch on April 28, 2003. Fredia had to stop fighting in the second round because of an injury to her right hand. Sumya Anani won the fight. Fredia was disappointed. She said she was ready to win, but couldn't fight with only one hand. After this fight, Fredia announced she was retiring from boxing.
Acting and Modeling
Fredia Gibbs has also worked as an actress and a sports model. She has been featured in many magazines. These include Black Achievers, Black Belt, Delco Times, Inside Karate, Jet, Los Angeles Sentinel, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Sports Illustrated for Women, and Upscale Magazine.
In 2000, Fredia played a character named Tanya "Terminator" Tessario in the movie Knockout. In 1996, she also appeared briefly in an episode of "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air."
Today
Beyond fighting, Fredia Gibbs is a motivational speaker. She is also an author, sharing her experiences to inspire others. She supports women in sports and teaches self-defense. You can watch her documentary, "The Fredia Gibbs Story: The Most Dangerous Woman in the World," on YouTube. It tells her journey from Chester, Pennsylvania, to becoming a global sports icon.
Her famous kickboxing gear is on display at the Sports Legend of Delaware County Museum. This museum honors great sports legends from Pennsylvania and Philadelphia. This display celebrates her amazing achievements in combat sports. Fredia is also a celebrity trainer, radio host, and helps others through charity work.
On February 5, 2022, she was honored in the Orange County Heritage Black History Parade. She was the "Female Athletic Division Marshal." She was also nominated to attend the United State of Women summit at the White House.
In 2016, Fredia Gibbs was named one of the Top Ten Greatest African American Female Athletes of All Time for Kickboxing. In September 2022, a six-foot bronze statue of Fredia Gibbs was put up. This statue honors her achievements and shows her strength and how she inspires future generations.
Championships and Awards
- 1986–1988 3-time World Tae Kwon Do Champion
- 1994–2001 ISKA World Kickboxing Champion (2 defenses)
- 1995–1999 WKA World Kickboxing Champion (2 defenses)
- 1996–2000 WCK World Kickboxing Champion (2 defenses)
- 2015–2016 Featured in Orange County Black History Heritage Parade
- 2015 Hall of Fame Inductee for Basketball at Chester High School
- 2016 AOCA Awakening Outstanding Contribution Award
- 2016 Hall of Fame Inductee for Track & Field at Chester High School
- 2016 Inducted into Mickey Vernon Sports Legend Museum–Delaware County Black History
- 2016 Selected as the Greatest African American Female Athlete of All Time for Kickboxing
- 2017 Her ISKA World Championship Belt was Inducted into the Sports Legends Of Delaware County Museum in Radnor, Pa September 17, 2017
- 2018 Honored as one of the greatest female athletes in Philadelphia history, held at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pa on August 18, 2018
- 2018 Given the Key to the City of her hometown, Chester, Pennsylvania by the Mayor and City of Council, on July 11, 2018
- 2022 Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame Inductee
Images for kids
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Fredia Gibbs in 2018.
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Fredia Gibbs' first World Championship belt and other memorabilia on display at the Sports Legends Museum of Delaware County, PA, with the museum director.
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Fredia Gibbs with members of Chester, PA City Council as she receives a Proclamation recognizing her lifetime achievements, July 11, 2018.
