Melissa Mojica

Early and personal life

She was born in Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico, on December 29, 1983. She is 120.2 kilograms (265 lb). Her parents are Carmelo Mojica and Julia Rosario, and she has two sisters: Melani and Julisa. Mojica went to the Medardo Carazo High School and studied Biology at University of Turabo.

Judo career

Mojica won the bronze medal in both, the open and the over 78 kg division of the 2006 Central American and Caribbean Games. She won the gold medal in the 2008 Pan American Judo Championships in Miami.

She won the gold medal in the over 78 kg and the open category, as well the silver in the team competition at the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games, held in her home country, Puerto Rico.

At the 2011 Pan American Games she lost the final to the Cuban Idalys Ortiz to win the silver medal at the +78 kg category in the regional games held in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Mojica won in May 2012, the silver medal at the Moscow Grand Slam, after being defeated by the Brazilian Maria Suelen Altheman who won her category gold medal. At the 2012 Summer Olympics, she defeated the Saudi teenager Wojdan Shaherkani, who competed with a special hijab, in only 82 seconds. After the combat Mojica claimed that she does not care about religious issues, but every woman should have the opportunity to compete at the Olympics. She then lost to Russian Elena Ivashchenko by Ippon in the second round, ending her participation in the +78 kg category at London, United Kingdom.