Grappling Goddess Helena Crevar Can’t Live Without Her Animals
Away from the mats, Helena Crevar’s world looks a lot less orderly than her fight record suggests.
The 19-year-old returns for her second ONE Championship appearance against Paige Ivette Clymer in an openweight submission grappling contest at The Inner Circle 22 on Friday, July 17. The card streams live for members from Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium.
Crevar carries a staggering 355-7 record into the bout, with 315 of those wins coming by submission. At home, though, two cats and two birds make sure she remembers who is actually in charge.
Kiwi, a 23-year-old Senegal parrot who joined the family before Crevar was even born, has firmly settled into his role as the household’s self-appointed gatekeeper.
“He’s a one-person bird. He only likes my mom. So, he’ll bite or want to attack anyone that is not my mom,” she said.
“He’s tried to attack me and still wants to attack me whenever he’s out of the cage. Despite me feeding him, he still just wants to attack me.”
The cats bring more balance than drama. Bernie and Tiger, a four-year-old tuxedo cat and a three-year-old tabby, round out the household at a hefty 20 pounds each.
A dog was actually Crevar’s first choice growing up, but her parents’ history with birds settled the household into cats instead. She has come to see the appeal.
“Dogs, you have to walk them and give them a lot more attention. But cats sleep most of the day, they come when they want to, and you pet them and feed them a couple times a day,” she shared.
“They’re really easy, and they’re very independent, so you don’t have to give them attention all day. But when they want attention, they’ll let you know.”
Keeping four very different animals under one roof takes constant, deliberate balance, and even the neighbors who check in while she travels have noticed how unusual it all is.
“It’s a rare combination. For the birds, people probably don’t consider them as common animals or pets that you can cuddle with like cats or dogs,” she added.
“But birds, they’re also very easy to care for. You clean the cage once every couple of days, they aren’t very demanding, and they eat mostly seeds and fruits. Probably, if we didn’t have the cats, we could pretty much carry them around on our shoulders all day.”
READ MORE: Zhang Peimian Says He No Longer Fights With A Teenager’s Mind
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