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Dana Brooke The WWE Diva Talks About Her Journey, Current Projects, and Miami Living Words by Briana Dodson • Photo Credit: Christopher Patey Ashley Sebera, aka WWE Diva Dana Brooke, is adjusting to the new normal. Used to performing for a crowd of thousands of screaming fans, at the moment, the 31-year- old is filming Friday Night SmackDown in an empty Amway Center in Orlando, Florida in order to promote safety amidst the global pandemic. "You go from a crowded arena to hearing crickets. But I think about who is on the other side of the TV, the kids who are out of school, who are going through a tough time…" says Ashley. You can imagine how different her environment must be. Fans drive the wrestling industry. Each performance is different because the crowd is different. There are plans to introduce a virtual audience to the atmosphere to at least give fans and performers the opportunity to see and connect with each other again. Ashley became a member of the wrestling universe, and was assigned to WWE Performance Center and NXT in Orlando July of 2013. The organization gave her the ring name, Dana Brooke --and it fit. "Some are able to stick with their real name, some of us get a few different ones to choose from. It's so crazy how life works. My parents wanted to name me Brooke. It was a beautiful thing. I was also very close to an ultimate warrior's wife, Dana. She was so strong. She had lost her husband a year after I lost my ex, Dallas. I've grown into that name. The meaning is inspiring and strong," says the Ohio native. Ashley made her first televised in-ring debut on the April 15, 2015 episode of NXT, defeating Blue Pants. On October 16, 2019, she signed a five-year contract with SmackDown. The opportunity made her feel "super blessed and fortunate. I've been with the company for quite some time. I'm so happy." Ashley has always been an extremely good athlete, but she never thought that being a wrestler was a possibility. For 18 years, she did gymnastics before facing severe ankle injuries that would make her rethink her journey altogether. "I always think of life like a puzzle --every piece connects in some way to your journey. Gymnastics was all I knew. My family was super supportive and I'd always thought about being in the Olympics. When injuries stopped my career, my dream was pulled out from under me. I didn't know what to do next." Next, Ashley competed, and dominated, as a diver. Her accomplishments include school champ, district champ, and a state qualifier. "It was cold. I didn't want to get my hair wet, but I tried it and I discovered it wasn't my thing. People are afraid of failure. Trying and not being your thing is completely okay. It's about taking those mistakes and learning from them. I like to say must-takes, not mistakes."