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 former professional athlete. She was a martial artist, kickboxer, and boxer. Fredia competed in sports from 1975 to 2005.
During her kickboxing career, she won several major world titles. These included championships from the International Sport Karate Association (ISKA), World Kickboxing Association (WKA), and World Karate Federation (WKF). Before kickboxing, she was an amazing athlete in basketball and track. She was even named an All-American in both sports.
Fredia Gibbs made history by becoming the first African-American female ISKA World Champion in kickboxing. After a big win in 1994 against French champion Valérie Wiet-Henin, she earned the nickname "The Most Dangerous Woman in the World." She became one of the most successful champions in her sport.
She is still an important figure in light and super lightweight kickboxing. From 1991 to 1997, she had an amazing kickboxing record of 16 wins, 0 losses, and 15 knockouts. She also won three world titles. Later, from 1997 to 2005, she competed as a top professional boxer. Her boxing record was 9 wins, 2 losses, and 1 draw. In 2022, Fredia Gibbs was honored by being added to the International Women's Boxing Hall of Fame.
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Early Life and Nickname
Fredia Gibbs was born in Chester, Pennsylvania. She got the nickname "The Cheetah" when she was in school. This was because she was incredibly fast in track events. Her high school, Chester High School, even named their track team "Chester's Cheetahs" in her honor.
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. There, she studied marketing.
Fredia was invited to try out for the United States women's national basketball team. She went to the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. Even though she didn't make the final team, she was a Kodak All-American for three years in a row at Cabrini University. Later, she played professional basketball in Germany. She was a top player, scoring nearly 30 points and getting 15 rebounds per game.
Starting Her Karate Journey
Fredia Gibbs began learning Jeet Kune Do and Aikido martial arts. She trained at the Quiet Storm Martial Arts School in Chester, Pennsylvania. Her uncle encouraged her to learn martial arts. This helped her regain her self-confidence, which had suffered because she was bullied.
Her uncle was part of a group of skilled martial artists. Every Saturday, Fredia would spar with her uncle in a locked room. He would challenge her to get a key he had placed behind him. Once she finally got the key, her uncle gave her a black belt.
She kept training and competing throughout 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 an undefeated champion from Puerto Rico. Fredia achieved all this while also being an All-American in basketball and track.
Basketball Achievements
Fredia Gibbs played basketball from age 12 until 1988. She helped turn her high school team, which had never won before, into champions. They became Division Champions, District Champions, and State Semi-finalists. She earned many honors, including All-County, All-State, and All-American.
In her senior year, she averaged 28 points, 5 rebounds, and 10 assists per game. In 1981, she received scholarships for both basketball and track at Temple University. After one season, she lost her scholarship due to academic reasons and left the university.
After finishing her college basketball career at Cabrini, Fredia played professionally. She joined Team Etzella in Luxembourg, in the European Women's Professional Basketball League. She led her team to win their first European Cup. She was also the team's top scorer and rebounder.
Becoming a Muay Thai Kickboxer
In 1990, Fredia moved to North Hollywood, California. There, she started kickboxing at Benny Urquidez's The Jet Kickboxing Training Center. She learned from Rubin Urquidez and David Krapes. Later, she studied Muay Thai Kickboxing. Her instructors were Sur Puk and Saekson Janjira from the Muay Thai Academy of America.
She had an incredible kickboxing record of 16 wins, 0 losses, and 1 draw, with 15 knockouts. Her only draw was from an exhibition fight against a male opponent. In April 1994, she beat Valerie Henin from France in "The Battle of the Masters" event. This win made her the ISKA World Champion. Fredia became the first African American woman to hold this world kickboxing title.
Professional Boxing Career
In 1997, Fredia Gibbs began her professional boxing career. Her record was 9 wins, 2 losses, and 1 draw, with 2 knockouts. Her first boxing match was on January 23, 1997. She won a four-round decision against Maria Fortaleza Recinos.
Fredia had her first boxing loss against Leah Mellinger. This happened when she was also filming the movie Knockout. The busy film schedule and cross-country travel made it hard for her to prepare. Fredia said this loss motivated her to train even harder.
On January 15, 1999, Fredia beat Hannah Fox, who was undefeated at the time. This fight was shown live on ESPN2. On November 16, 2001, Fredia fought Sumya Anani for the WIBA world title. The fight was exciting and ended in a draw. This meant the title remained empty. They had a rematch on April 28, 2003. Fredia had to stop fighting in the second round due to a hand injury. Sumya Anani won the fight. Fredia was disappointed but explained she couldn't fight with only one hand. After this match, Fredia announced her retirement from boxing.
Acting and Modelling Work
Besides sports, Fredia Gibbs also worked as an actress. She was a sports model for Sebastian International Sports Department. She was featured in many magazines. These included 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 the villain Tanya "Terminator" Tessario in the movie Knockout. In 1996, she also had a small role in an episode of "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air."
Fredia Gibbs Today
Fredia Gibbs' fight gear is on display at the Sports Legend of Delaware County Museum. This museum celebrates the history of sports legends from Delaware County. Today, Fredia is an author, a celebrity trainer, and a motivational speaker. She also hosts a radio show and helps others through charity work.
In 2016 and 2017, she was honored and took part in the Orange County Heritage Black History Parade. She was also nominated to attend the United State of Women summit. This event was hosted by the White House. In 2016, Fredia Gibbs was named one of the Top Ten Greatest African American Female Kickboxers of All Time.
Championships and Awards
- 1986–1988: 3-time World Tae Kwon Do Champion
- 1994–2001: ISKA World Kickboxing Champion (defended title 2 times)
- 1995–1999: WKA World Kickboxing Champion (defended title 2 times)
- 1996–2000: WCK World Kickboxing Champion (defended title 2 times)
- 2015–2016: Featured in Orange County Black History Heritage Parade
- 2015: Inducted into the Hall of Fame for Basketball at Chester High School
- 2016: Received the AOCA Awakening Outstanding Contribution Award
- 2016: Inducted into the Hall of Fame for Track & Field at Chester High School
- 2016: Inducted into the 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 added to the Sports Legends Of Delaware County Museum
- 2018: Honored as one of the greatest female athletes in Philadelphia history at Temple University
- 2018: Given the Key to the City of her hometown, Chester, Pennsylvania
- 2022: Inducted into the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame
Images for kids
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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 Proclamation recognizing her lifetime achievements, July 11, 2018
