Jessie Graff kicks butts and takes names for a living. The 34-year-old stuntwoman, who has appeared in movies like Wonder Woman and The Dark Knight and was the first woman to ever complete Stage 1 of American Ninja Warrior, turned her background in martial arts (she’s a black belt in Taekwondo), pole vaulting, and gymnastics into a career she is deeply passionate about.
“It all started when I fell in love with the circus at 4 years old,” Graff tells SELF. “I decided I wanted to climb everything.” And that’s pretty much what she does now for a living. Graff’s days are filled with fight scene training, flipping, jumping, climbing, and falling. On top of her job as a stuntwoman, Graff still competes on American Ninja Warrior.
It’s no surprise that when Under Armour launched its latest campaign, Will Finds a Way, which is all about dedication and resilience and celebrating hard work, they chose Graff to be one of the faces of the campaign. Her job requires her to constantly tackle new challenges, so she has to be able to bounce back quickly when she doesn’t nail something the first time. When she’s faced with a particularly difficult stunt or obstacle, Graff reminds herself that working through it will make her stronger. “I try so hard to focus on the fact that those are the moments that make me better, where I grow the most, and I try to appreciate it when I’m there,” she says.
Graff is no stranger to hard work—in fact, she works pretty damn hard every day. We recently had a chance to chat with her about what her days actually look like, from how she trains to how she fuels for all that jumping, fighting, and falling. Here’s what we learned.
Her schedule can be really inconsistent, depending on what she is shooting, but she has to get at least eight hours of sleep every day.
“It’s hard with my chaotic work schedule. One day, I may start work at 4 A.M. or 5 A.M., and the next day, I’ll shoot all night, finishing at 8 A.M. or 9 A.M.,” she says. But no matter what time of day she ends up sleeping, she always tries to log a full eight hours. “Because of the stress I put on my body, I insist on getting eight hours of sleep,” she says.
Also, going to work tired isn’t just an inconvenience—it can be dangerous. “Lack of sleep can make us more sluggish. Being slower and weaker is a huge liability with my job,” Graff says. “That's why I'm so careful to set alarms for when I must go to bed.”
Courtesy of Jessie Graff
After she wakes up, she tucks into a balanced breakfast and spends some time foam rolling.
For every meal or snack, Graff aims to eat a healthy balance of protein and carbs, "and as many vegetables as I can enjoy," she says. “This makes [my meal] filling, fueling, and healthy.”
