MORE THAN MEDALS shares the heartfelt stories of our fundraisers, revealing the faces behind our cause. Today, we share the story of James Holland who is honoring his mother, Sharon

James is a Blue Belt who trains at Soul Fighters in Texas. James is currently fundraising for the 2024 Dallas BJJ Open on May 25th.

JAMES FIGHTS FOR HIS MOTHER, SHARON

James’ mother was experiencing abnormal headaches in October of 2023, which continued into December when she started having balance and memory issues. In December, she was diagnosed with glioblastoma. After a hard-fought battle, sadly, Sharon passed away in February of 2024.

Sharon was a mother to three and a stepmother to five more. In order for James and his brothers to play sports or have dirtbikes, his mother worked two jobs while they were young. She was always supportive of his passion for jiu-jitsu and competing and promised she would be at all of his tournaments.

When she passed, James honored her with a tattoo on his chest so she could fulfill that promise. James shared that she truly was the best mom he could have ever asked for.

We encourage you to follow James’ fundraising journey to honor his mother. We wish him the best of luck at the upcoming Dallas BJJ Open. Thank you for sharing your story with us, James!