Aarae Alexander

Aarae Alexander was born on October 14, 1994, in Silver Spring, Maryland, and grew up in Fort Washington, Maryland. Her path to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu began not through a deliberate search for martial arts training, but through a moment of quiet observation. As a child, she watched local kids grapple during a Summer camp — and that chance encounter was enough to ignite a deep, lasting passion for the sport.

Acting on that curiosity, Alexander began formal training at Team Lloyd Irvin's headquarters in the Summer of 2004, joining TLI's kids program. Widely regarded as one of the most productive development pipelines in competitive BJJ, the program has produced a remarkable number of champions across age groups and belt levels, providing Alexander with both the environment and the instruction to develop at an elite pace.

From her very first competition in 2005, Alexander's development was shaped by coach Donald (Donnie) Achnick, Director of Team Lloyd Irvin's kids program. Achnick guided her through every stage of her competitive journey — from those early outings as a young student all the way through to the adult black belt level — a mentorship spanning more than a decade.

A Decorated Colored Belt Career

Alexander's colored belt résumé reflects sustained excellence at the sport's most prestigious events. She claimed IBJJF Juvenile World titles in 2009 and 2010 at blue belt, then won the IBJJF World Championship at blue belt in 2012 and again at purple belt in 2014. She captured the IBJJF Pans title at purple belt in 2013 and earned multiple gold medals at the IBJJF New York Spring International Open across the purple and brown belt divisions. At brown belt, she reached the runner-up position at the IBJJF World Championship in both 2015 and 2016 — a clear signal that her game was ready for the sport's highest stage.

Training Discipline and Academic Demands

What makes Alexander's trajectory particularly compelling is that she achieved these results while pursuing a demanding academic career in civil engineering. Training just twice per week throughout her colored belt and black belt careers — a schedule well below what most high-level competitors maintain — she nonetheless built a competition record that rivals athletes training full-time. That discipline, both on and off the mat, defines the character of her journey.

On June 13, 2016, Lloyd Irvin awarded Alexander her black belt, marking the formal completion of a journey that had begun on those mats in the Summer of 2004.

Alexander wasted little time establishing herself at the black belt level. In 2016 — the same year she received her black belt — she won both the IBJJF New York BJJ Pro and the IBJJF New York Summer International Open, announcing her arrival as a competitive force in the lighter weight divisions. She has competed primarily in the Peso Pena (58.50 kg / 129.0 lbs) and Peso Leve (64.00 kg / 141.5 lbs) categories.

Key Results and International Presence

Her 2017 season demonstrated the ability to perform on the sport's biggest stages, with a bronze medal at the IBJJF World Championship and a third-place finish at the IBJJF Pans Championship — establishing her as a consistent podium presence among the world's elite black belts. In 2018, she captured gold at the IBJJF Washington Open and pushed to the runner-up position at the IBJJF Pans No-Gi Championship, showcasing her versatility across both gi and no-gi formats.

Taken together, her black belt career reflects a competitor who delivered consistent international results across multiple formats and weight categories.

Among the defining characteristics of Aarae Alexander's career is the degree to which she balanced elite athletic competition with the rigors of a civil engineering education. Training twice per week — far below the standard for high-level competitors — she nonetheless accumulated a résumé that includes world and continental titles across multiple belt levels.

This balance demanded not only physical efficiency on the mat, but also the kind of mental discipline and time management that few athletes at any level manage to sustain. Alexander's career stands as a compelling example of how academic and athletic excellence can coexist, and serves as a model within the Team Lloyd Irvin community and the broader BJJ world for student-athletes navigating the same challenges.