Jayda Fulp to Represent USA and FWCD at 2021 Infantil Pan American Games

When the 2021 Infantil Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, get underway on November 13-14, Fort Worth Country Day freshman Jayda Fulp will be representing the U.S. and FWCD in the Olympic sport of Judo. Currently ranked No. 1 in the U.S. in the U15 58kg (128 pounds) division, Fulp had a stellar summer that culminated with her first-ever invitation to represent Team USA at the Junior Pan American Championships.

The top four nationally ranked USA Judo athletes in U15 and U13 divisions received direct invitations. Jayda has been involved in Judo for four years and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for five. She began wrestling in January 2021. This winter, she plans to wrestle with FWCD’s team, bringing her outside of school work with FWCD Wrestling Coach Hugo Muñoz full circle -- and to the school she loves. Muñoz has coached Jayda at Silver Back Jiu-Jitsu, along with FWCD Falcons Preston Stovall ’29, Andrew Tiblets ’31, Will Tiblets ’29, and Luke Vincent ’26.

The year began on a rough note for the Fulp family when everything they owned was destroyed in a house fire that consumed their home. The FWCD community sprang into action to help by coordinating meal trains, replacement School uniforms, supplies and support.

On April 24-25, just a week after the fire, Jayda traveled to Salt Lake City, Utah, to compete in the Scholastic National Championships. She narrowly missed the podium, finishing fourth after six difficult matches. Being that close to the podium, Jayda ramped up her training routine, which includes weekly sessions with two-time Olympian Nick Delpopolo and cross-training in wrestling and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu with Muñoz, her longtime BJJ coach.

“Since the moment I met Jayda, I knew she was an exceptional student-athlete. She was able to grasp concepts and work harder than any adult or kid I have coached,” Muñoz said. “ I am beyond proud of all her accomplishments in Jiu Jitsu, Judo and wrestling. Despite all those things I am most proud of the person she is becoming, her kindness, her perseverance, and her ability to rise to challenges and overcome them. I look forward to coaching her as a member of the FWCD wrestling team.”

Jayda's hard work came to fruition when she earned gold at the Junior Olympics in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and another gold medal at the Junior U.S. Open Championships in Orlando, Florida. These wins catapulted her to the No. 1 ranking in the U.S. 

To be in top form, Jayda commits to her sports six days a week for a total of 9 hours a week focusing on Judo, BJJ and wrestling, and at FWCD, she lifts three days a week. “I try to work harder on the mat than my peers, I focus on my lifting at school, and I commit myself to be mentally tough so that I psych out my competitors versus being psyched out by them,” Jayda notes.  

Jayda's goals are to represent Team USA at the Olympic Games as well as become an orthopedic surgeon like her Grandfather, Trey Fulp, who also is an impetus behind her pursuing the sports of Judo, Jiu-Jitsu and wrestling. 

"We're excited to have Jayda involved in our wrestling program this winter -- and with track in the spring,” said FWCD Athletic Director Leigh Block. “She's a remarkable athlete, and her experiences in Judo will translate well to her school sports and vice versa.  We’re so proud that she represents FWCD so well!"

Definitions

Judo: a sport of unarmed combat derived from jujitsu and intended to train the body and mind. It involves using holds and leverage to unbalance the opponent. 
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu:  a martial art and combat sport based on ground fighting and submission holds. It focuses on the skill of taking an opponent to the ground, controlling one's opponent, gaining a dominant position, and using a number of techniques to force them into submission via joint locks or chokeholds.

Wrestling: the sport or activity of grappling with an opponent and trying to throw or hold them down on the ground, typically according to a code of rules.