Randa Markos

          To kick off the fall season, Epsilon Alpha Sigma would like to honor Randa Markos as October’s Empowered Arab Woman of the month. As a born fighter, her story proves to be both an inspiration and a prime example for our Empowered Arab Sisters. Similar to most of the Arab world’s refugees, Markos didn’t have much of a childhood by being forced to experience war at a very young age. The Iran-Iraq war of the late 1980s left her family struggling to regain any sense of normalcy. Markos was only 3 years old when her father decided he had to get the family out of Iraq. “In Iraq, all the males are required to join the army, but they were so poorly equipped and trained, he felt like it was an instant death sentence,” Markos said. “My father watched so many of his friends die in the war, so he began the process of getting us out of Iraq. He knew if he stayed and didn't join the army, they would kill him." And so the family set out for the Iraq-Turkey border. They walked for days until finally arriving at the border greeted by hundreds of refugees who found themselves in the same predicament. For the next year, they would wait at a refugee camp in Istanbul for visas into any country that would open its borders. As a refugee, Markos’ father was not permitted to work in the region, toughening things for the family. When the visas never came, they were detained at gunpoint by the Turkish government, and waited to be deportated in jail. "My father talked to a United Nations official and asked for his help," Markos said. "Somehow, they didn't send us back. Shortly after, our visas to Canada came through." Moving from city to city, country to country, riding on donkeys and in cabs, Markos and her family eventually ended up in Canada.          

        Here is where the real fighting began. The change proved to be difficult for Markos’ family but she managed to find light at the end of the tunnel. Markos found solace in wrestling, joining her high school team. There, she discovered an outlet that she was passionate about, and good at. "I loved wrestling because when all that stuff was going on in my house, I never talked about it," she said. "So I'd go to the gym and I'd get all my frustration out. And it was like another family to me. I would do well and my coaches would give me great feedback. I was starved to get that approval from them. I never got that approval at home." As a Chaldean (Iraqi Christian) family, Markos' upbringing remained traditional and strict. So she told her family she played volleyball instead, then went off every day and grappled with the boys. Following high school, Markos obtained a degree in Astrophysics at the University of Windsor. Throughout her academic career, she missed wrestling and through her relationship with MMA fighter, Jeff Thomas, she found her true passion. Once she completed University, she would begin training as a Mixed Martial Arts fighter. Eventually her dream would become a reality: she is now one of the 16 female athletes competing in season 20 of UFC’s “The Ultimate Fighter.” This deems her one of the 16 best 115-pound female fighters in the world. 
      Markos' life journey is a tremendous inspiration for the sisters in Epsilon Alpha Sigma. We applaud the strength she possesses beyond her MMA fighting to follow her heart and passion despite her life circumstances. Markos did not let stereotypes, gender norms, or any of her struggles get in the way of pursuing her dreams. Her story should encourage the young women of our sisterhood and young women everywhere to embrace their passions and stand strong  in the face of adversity.