Felipe Pena credits Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu with transforming his life, helping him evolve from a shy, overweight teenager into one of the sport’s most decorated competitors.

Pena shared on the A Hora Do Jiu Jitsu podcast just how impactful BJJ has been in his life:

It changed my life completely.
I think if it wasn’t for jiu-jitsu, I have no idea what my life would be like.

I really think I’m going to be video game champion that they told me, I don’t know.

I don’t know if I would be like a cachaceiro from BH and a party promoter, a chubby, sedentary guy.

As a teenager, Pena was hesitant to train, attending his first classes at Draculino’s academy in Belo Horizonte only because of his family’s insistence.
Initially reluctant, he soon discovered a welcoming community that helped him develop a passion for the sport.

Pena’s rise to fame wasn’t without its challenges, however.

For years, he suffered from chronic tonsillitis, which frequently sidelined him.
Severe infections would strike as often as eight times a year, forcing him to take antibiotics and remain bedridden for weeks at a time.

The condition disrupted his training camps and jeopardized his ability to compete at the highest level:

There was a time in my life, I had like eight [infections] a year and all of them, taking antibiotics, I was in bed for two weeks.