MRP SPOTLIGHT: Angela Durazo
This week’s spotlight features the lovely and multitalented Angela Durazo!
Angela is a former professional triathlete turned actress based out of Los Angeles, California. Angela’s athletic story is a unique one of perseverance. In 2011, as she began her journey towards qualifying as a professional long distance triathlete she experienced stiff, painful hands and wrists. Angela, first thinking she was sleeping in a weird position soon realized something more complex was going on. In 2012, seven physicians later, she was diagnosed with the chronic pain autoimmune disease, rheumatoid arthritis. Angela’s body rejected the initial treatments and her RA flared. Bedridden due to pain, she went from being a competitive triathlete to being unable to walk or open a water bottle. Responding poorly to conventional treatment, Angela sought relief through changes in diet, DHEA supplements, and A.R.T. physical therapy.
Angela was determined to get back to racing and to racing she did return. Angela earned her first amateur podium (top 3 placement) in 2013, only 10 months after her RA diagnosis. That same season she qualified as USA Triathlon Top 10% in the nation in her age group despite having sustained permanent damage to her shoulders and hands from the RA. In 2014, Angela raced professionally in the physically challenged “PC” PT4 division bringing some much-needed attention to the ‘invisible illness’ community. By the end of 2014, Angela decided to retire as a professional athlete. Endurance sport had taken its toll and she decided to pursue her acting passion full-time.
In addition to Angela Durazo’s impressive athletic profile, she has an exciting acting and business resume – triple threat is an understatement! Angela’s undergraduate degree is pre-law, paralegal studies and she actually brokered and negotiated her own endorsement deals when she was racing.
We asked if she’s binging anything on Netflix at the moment, and she’s a huge fan of the Netflix original series Grace & Frankie, which we LOVE. A song that she feels describes her life would be “The Walker” by Fitz & The Tantrums. We had the pleasure of shooting with Angela recently and loved getting to know more about her journey and success.
If you want to know more about Angela Durazo & follow her on her journey of exciting projects, athletic endeavors, and personal milestones – follow her on social media!