FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - In a world where most people stick to one career, Elia Carranza has chosen two. When she’s not fighting in the ring as a professional athlete, she’s out on the streets as a Broward Sheriff’s Office deputy, serving and protecting her community.
“I love it, I absolutely love it,” said Carranza about her dual careers. “I love coming out here, but it’s always that you never know what you’re coming into.”
Carranza is currently ranked among the best in her weight class and sport. Her time in the ring has honed her “seek and destroy” mentality, giving her the drive and determination to go after her goals relentlessly, but her work as a deputy has also helped her become a more well-rounded fighter.
“That’s the mentality. You gotta go, go, go. There’s this dog, lion, wolf mentality that we just have when we’re in here,” she said. “On the road, it’s more so, I’m protecting people even if you’re the ‘bad guy.'”
The 32-year-old prides herself on knowing she can flip a switch from having a fighter’s mentality to being an officer.
“If you come at me wrong, I’m still going to be able to handle business and I’m still going to be able to get the job done,” she said.
Carranza has spent the last nine years balancing her two careers. While in the police academy, she even won two more belts as a professional fighter. Her goal now is to win a middleweight title.
“[Then I] graduated, went pro, got on the road, kept fighting, and then that just kept tying into where I’m at now,” she said.
What sets Carranza apart from the rest is her ability to diffuse tense situations on the job. She carries a variety of toys in her trunk to offer to children at scenes where they may be involved. She even offered some of her fellow officers her toys and saw how excited they were to hand them out to the children.
“It’s so small but it’s so big,” she said.
Carranza knows some people don’t understand how her two jobs are different.
“What I do is what I do what I’m called to do, she said. “So, there are people that love me for it and I know there are people that don’t. I know that there are people that look at me sideways, but I am who I am unapologetically.”
On Saturday night, Carranza will be fighting at the Miccosukee Casino and Resort. She believes that with a couple more wins, she’ll be ready for a shot at the middleweight title.
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