​Paige Ivette Clymer, a standout newcomer to ONE Championship, wears her signature cowgirl hat with purpose, not merely as a promotional flourish. The 33-year-old American is proudly sporting it because it symbolizes a core facet of her identity that transcends fashion. Beyond the grind of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, the relentless circuits of competition, and the intense world of elite submission grappling, the Legion American Jiu Jitsu Academy black belt has cultivated a deep and enduring passion for horseback riding.
Clymer is preparing for a much-anticipated ONE debut against teenage phenom Helena Crevar in a 10-minute open-weight submission grappling match at The Inner Circle 22, scheduled for Friday, July 17. The event will stream live from Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium, exclusively for ONE members at live.onefc.com. Entering the arena for her promotional debut, she brings a remarkable grappling résumé, boasting a 118-7 record, and she carries with her a personal narrative that highlights a different kind of terrain—one with horses rather than mats.
The San Diego native has always had a profound connection with horses, a bond that predates her black belt and the formidable reputation she has built on the mats. Her first ride occurred during a childhood trip to Tennessee, an experience that left her with a lasting, positive memory and a family story that would be recounted for years to come.
She recalls the moment vividly: “When I was eight years old, I visited my own father in Tennessee, and that’s when I first rode a horse.” That initial encounter left no trace of fear, but a subsequent episode involving her sister changed the course of her early equestrian experiences. In that moment, her sister rode the same horse and was spooked when a dog scampered near the animal; the horse bolted, and her sister ended up breaking her arm. That incident didn’t instill a fear of horses in Clymer, but it did alter the dynamic of her family’s relationship with equestrian life.
“The dog started running around that horse, and my sister fell off and broke her arm. So I never had any negative interactions with horses, although my sister did,” she explains. “And then, like, 15 years later, my friend asked me to go, and then it’s kind of just never stopped from there.” That invitation marked the turning point that reignited her lifelong interest in riding.
The rekindling of her passion occurred around 2020 when fellow combat sports athlete Jessica Penne invited Clymer to ride in California. By that time, Clymer had already spent years sculpting her body for competition and grappling at the highest levels, but returning to the saddle after such a long hiatus brought a surge of nerves. Equitation demanded a different kind of physical awareness—one that went beyond raw strength, balance, or brute toughness. It required patience, finesse, timing, and a quiet confidence in one’s own body. The saddle presented a mental and physical challenge unlike the mat, and embracing it meant embracing a different discipline within her broader athletic journey.
Clymer’s path back to horses is not merely a detour from grappling; it complements her competitive ethos by offering a respite that still tests her limits. The discipline of horse riding, with its emphasis on balance, communication, and timing between rider and animal, resonates with the strategic patience that grappling demands. For Clymer, the hat—worn with pride—serves as a symbol of this multidimensional identity: a fighter on the mat who also answers the call of the saddle, a competitor who embraces both worlds with equal fervor.
As she readies for her ONE Championship debut, Clymer is excited not only to test her grappling prowess on a global stage but also to showcase a different aspect of who she is—an athlete who finds her home in the saddle just as surely as she does on the mat. Her journey illuminates how a person can immerse themselves in elite sport while cultivating a lifelong passion that enriches every facet of their athletic story. The cowgirl hat, proudly atop her head, stands as a daily reminder of that dual identity: a relentless competitor and a devoted horsewoman, united by discipline, resilience, and a love that transcends the arena.