This document summarizes an interview with Mimi Lesseos, a former professional wrestler and current stuntwoman, producer, and single mother of twins. Some key points: - Lesseos was a champion grappler who used to enter the ring wearing pink boas and sequined shoes to show wrestling can be feminine. - Since retiring from wrestling, she has worked as a stuntwoman in films like The Scorpion King and Million Dollar Baby and directed her own films. - As a single mother, she found parenting stressful at first but adapted by taking relaxing baths and putting her all into parenting while still making time for herself. - She advocates for exercise through walking, dancing, and self-defense

1. chat room
by Vivien Santana Hughes
Mimi Lesseos: Mom of Action
Q
“Might be fun to interview someone who And exercise: lunges and
could snap you like a twig,” said my editor of walking.
champion grappler/wrestler Mimi Lesseos,
a.k.a. Magnificent Mimi, the mother of twins. How do you keep life in
I’ll admit I struggle to lift my suitcase into balance?
the overhead bin. But I was game. Yet, it was My advice is, put your whole heart and soul
with some trepidation that I called Mimi to into parenting, but save some time for your-
postpone our interview. I mean, this woman self. It’s not selfish. Sometimes, we parents get
fought for a living for 22 years. “That’s OK,” totally lost. Do what makes you happy – read a
she said. “I’ll just take a bath with rose petals book, get a massage – even for just an hour a
from the garden.” week and you’ll feel rejuvenated.
Really? “I’m all about staying feminine in a
man’s world,” Mimi explained later. “I used to Do you feel like you always have to be
go into the ring wearing pink boas and strong?
sequined fighting shoes. You can kick ass and Parents often feel that way. But you can
be girly.” Love it! sometimes feel like breaking down and crying.
Since retiring from fighting, Mimi has per- Get a good bottle of wine, find the best sad
formed stunts for films including The Scorpion movie, and have a damn good cry. You’ll feel
King and Gangs of New York, and boxed in so much better.
Million Dollar Baby. She also fought – wearing
&
a bikini – in plenty of B movies. “It became, What’s your best tip for moms on staying
‘Let’s exploit Mimi,’” she says. So she mort- (or getting) in shape?
A
gaged her house and started her own produc- I’m all for walking – jogging really pounds
tion company. She just released her seventh your joints. Walk and get to know your neigh-
film, Double Duty, described as “a female Jackie borhood. Walk to the store or park a couple of
Chan a la Home Alone.” blocks away. And it’s free. For fun, take a dance
Raised in a tough Hollywood neighbor- class. I take salsa once a week. Don’t wait for
hood, Mimi now lives with her kids on a ranch anybody to go with you. Just go!
in Acton, north of L.A., where the twins are
active in sports, scouts, dance and, of course, How do you suggest parents empower
judo. their kids, especially girls?
Put your daughter in some sort of self-
What were you like as a child? defense class, and a dance class, too. If your
I was the quiet, baby of five. When my child is a loner getting picked on at school,
mom would leave, I was constantly getting reassure her or him that this is just one point
beat up by brothers and sisters. I went to my in time. It’s not what anyone else says about
uncle [judo champion and stuntman Gene you – it’s what you think about yourself. Then
LeBell], who literally got me in a headlock and enforce how wonderful your child is. There’s a
took me under his wing. I started taking judo lot of bullying going on now. Parents need to
lessons at 6 and fought my first pro match at listen to what their kids are saying.
16. I became the strong one of the family!
Martial artist/wrestler/ Sounds like you speak from experience.
stuntwoman/actress/ You’re definitely tough. How tough was Were you teased as a child?
writer/producer/single it becoming a single mom to twins? Kind of, yes. [Laughs] I showed them! !
mom (phew!) Mimi I’ve been a single mom since I was four-
Lesseos in fighting form, and-a-half months pregnant. I had one of Chat Room columnist Vivien Santana Hughes is
top right, values spending those runaway guys. I was stressed – how was I a former L.A. Parent editor and the mother of
unstructured time with going to do this? I was a fighter, what did I three – two sons in college and (surprise!) a
her 12-year-old twins, know about parenting? And I had to do this by five-year-old daughter. She just signed up for
Nicholas and Sophia. myself! Taking lots of baths chilled me out. cardio funky dance at the Y.
58 July 2010 / LAParent.com