AJP Stories: Alexa Yanes and the race against time to compete in Russia

February 5, 2025

Athlete with multiple big titles to her name, Alexa Yanes is a well-known powerhouse in the international competitive scene who honed her Jiu-Jitsu for years on the AJP circuit. However, the road to the top is never a smooth one, and Alexa had her fair share of hurdles to overcome as she strived to reach her current standing, with one such obstacle coming around in 2019. Check out Alexa's tale below to know what she went through to reach the Russian capital of Moscow and compete in her first Abu Dhabi Grand Slam as a brown belt.

"This was actually my first-ever Abu Dhabi Grand Slam as a brown belt. I had recently gotten promoted and was registered to compete in the ADGS Moscow but, being an American citizen, I needed a visa to approve my trip to Russia. Now, I knew all that ahead of time, so I tried scheduling the whole process a few months before, but it turned out that the only available date was literally two days before my flight. I didn't really have a choice, so I made the appointment anyway.

"When the date came around, I drove three hours to Houston for my appointment. When I got there, they told me that they needed to hold my passport for an entire month, and I was like 'No, I need it tomorrow because my flight is scheduled for the day after that'. The attendant told me that I could go to the Russian Embassy and try to get the document there, but no guarantees. So I drove back home with nothing to show for my efforts, completely devastated. I was already stressed leading up to my appointment so I felt like giving up, but I thought that I had to at least try because I had already bought the ticket.

"On the next day, I drove another three hours to visit the Russian Embassy in Houston. I got there and explained everything, how I had to get on a plane to Moscow the next day, how I needed my visa ready in one day when it usually takes a month, and it worked. They gave me a single-use, one-time deal document that would allow me to travel to Russia for the competition. It was a huge thing for me and I boarded my flight on the following day.

"As soon as I got to Russia, another American couple was getting sent back home. I don't know what happened, but they were not allowed in the country and that had me freaking out because I thought they weren't letting me in either. When I got to immigration, the lady behind the counter started asking me all these crazy questions and then, for reasons I don't know to this day, literally had me detained in the airport. After two hours, I was allowed into Russia and was thrilled, just being there was already a win.

"The ADGS Moscow was my first brown belt tournament and I was registered in the Brown/Black category, meaning I was up against black belts too. I told myself I had nothing to lose, so I went out there, landed a submission on my first match, and felt more confident. I just had to use my Jiu-Jitsu and do what I usually do on the mats. If I managed to solve that whole visa situation, this competition was a done deal. I ended up placing third in that tournament, so it was all worth it. My first competition as a brown belt was a Grand Slam fighting among black belts and I still made it to the podium. It was definitely a process, but I made it work and now had a medal to show for it."