LANCASTER, Pa. — Lebanon County's Lateesha Mohl is on a mission.
As one of the area's only professional female fighters, she carries a big-time chip on her shoulder.
“I took an MMA fight after about six months of training, and then I won my first fight," recalled Mohl. "It kind of snowballed from there."
Mohl recently won her first professional kickboxing match. She also is a professional in boxing and MMA as well. Claiming her first-ever kickboxing win was a big moment for her career and her mental toughness.
"It was an amazing feeling; I worked really, really hard for my last fight. It was well-deserved," said Mohl. "I will give myself that. I used to be really self-conscious but I 100% deserve to be in that ring as much as anybody else."
She trains at Gracie's 717 in Lancaster, and her steady improvement day to day has been impressive to her coaches.
“All the [progress] she's made, from fight one to where she's at now, just shows how hard she's been working [during these] seven years," said head kickboxing coach Christian Carr. "She listens, and that's the biggest thing. Everyone says they want to fight, but it's different in that ring."
Mohl also fights for the girls that view her as a role model; it can be tough at times to secure fights, but there are a lot of younger ones looking up to her.
“I'm hoping those girls that are wrestling in middle and high school see the opportunity to get into this sport and take advantage of it," said Mohl. "It’s not just a man's sport. Anybody can do it."
Mohl's next fight is unknown, but she currently remains undefeated in both boxing and MMA.
"Whatever I can get, whether it's pro-kickboxing or pro-MMA, I'm willing to take it," said Mohl. "I want to go as far as I can. I want to go as high as I can.”
Whenever that opportunity comes, there's no doubt that Mohl will be ready for the challenge.