Sumo Wrestler

Sharran is the only female sumo wrestler in the UK; however, she didn’t let the lack of role models hold her back—instead, she became one for countless other women.

Question + Answer

1) What is it like being a female sumo wrestler? And a woman of color?

“It’s a difficult thing, because women cannot go further than rikishi—no matter what ranking, what level, it’s not allowed. All I’ve managed to do is dip a toe in the ocean. Even as a world champion, you will only be recognized as an amateur. It hasn’t changed at all, how male-dominated it is. It’s only recognized as a hobby, as a play thing.

There’s only one other woman of color, she was from Venezuela. I put myself out there, I’m seen—women like that.”

2) You live in London--there aren’t many places to practice sumo here, yet you managed to do quite well in international competitions. How did you do that?

“There are no clubs in London—it’s very time-consuming and expensive. The only time I could practice was when I went to competitions. It was good to meet other big women like me. I went to Japan in 2006—I really enjoyed it and I enjoyed meeting other women. It was really life changing—my focus changed, I enjoyed doing it.

I achieved as much as I could, starting at 40 years old.”

3) What are the stereotypes of women in sumo? How can we change those?

“What do you wear?” That’s what people wonder about women. When people find out I’m not topless, that myth is taken away!

In order to compete in sumo, you need a lot of fitness—it’s not just strength, it’s technique and fitness. When you see 2 big people you don’t realize you need fitness. I had to do things that would increase my physical fitness in order to train—but there was no one to train with because men fight totally different than women. I love going to the gym—people don’t realize that as a big and tall person you can still love that. It’s very difficult going to the gym, because most of the machines aren’t made for you, which is why I got a personal trainer.”

4) You were awarded the Guinness world record for the heaviest sportswoman. What did that mean to you?

“To be given that title as a sportswoman, that resonated a lot for me and made me feel like I’m part of a group that I never thought I would be in. At the US Open, I was the heaviest woman there.”

5) Lots of women message you saying how much of an inspiration you are. What are some of the memorable conversations you’ve had?

“Some women said they were so inspired by how I held myself and how I was dressed, and that on top of that was a sportswoman. They say things like, ‘you are so inspiring, I wish I had done this. You’re so elegant—I see the clothes you wear.’ A lot of big women stick to black—I have gone away from that.

Women resonate with me mostly because of how I speak—I’m confident. 15-20 years ago I never would have done that. I felt like I lived in a cave before sumo wrestling. I’m not complacent and I don’t take things for granted—that’s because of sumo.”

6) You have an incredible sense of peace with yourself and your body--that’s not an easy place to get to. How did you get there, and how can other women get there too?

It’s accepting who I am—I’m a big lady. It’s embracing the good bits. If I don’t like something, I don’t accept it. It used to be if you’re big, you sit in the back and don’t talk—now I’m always in the front!

Resources

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