Armored combat is an intense sport on the fringe of competitive fighting. Blending martial arts with medieval techniques, fighters brutally face off in the ring with an array of weapons and full suits of armor. Though there is already a global following, the sport is quickly gaining popularity and Kelsey Leta is making sure everyone is welcome.

Beyond training, competing, and running a business, Leta has made it her mission to increase gender representation in armored combat and create a home for fighters of all identities.

“It's important to have that diversity because there are so many women and femme fighters in the sport and if they're putting in the work, they deserve that space,” Leta says.

Just around the corner from Nashville's Grand Ole Opry, Kelsey Leta and her partner Mickey Gallus own and operate Nashville Armored Combat, a gym that serves as a hub for armored fighters to train and gather as a growing community. Extending beyond Tennessee, Leta and Gallus have built one of the most established armored combat organizations in America, AMMA (Armored Medieval Martial Arts). Having earned global recognition, their tournaments draw in competitors from all over the world.