Allie
pro wrestler
Allie is a Canadian wrestler who has had success nationally and beyond. She’s also competed under the name Cherry Bomb and her real name Laura Dennis.
In 2006 she debuted with the Great Canadian Wrestling federation. In April 2007 she won the W.I.L.D. Championship in a four-way match. She joined Shimmer Women Athletes in 2008, where she won the Shimmer Tag Team Championships.
She won the 2010 Women Stars Uncensored in 2015, and went on to compete for Ring of Honour as well as in Japan. Wrestling under the name Allie she joined Shine Wrestling where she took the Tag Team Championship.
With Impact Wrestling she won TNA Knockouts Championship in a five-way bout.
Laura has also won the Classic Championship Wrestling title twice, been named Ontario Indy Female Wrestler of the Year and has been Pro Wrestling Xtreme Women’s Champion.
She’s known as a vibrant and exciting character in the sport, having had tussles with other competitors outside bouts. She’s married professional wrestler Jesse Guilmette.
According to Laura, the greatest of these accomplishments is “winning the Impact Wrestling Women’s Championship”. When we caught up with her in 2018 she was continuing to wrestle with Impact Wrestling and was appearing on Pop TV in the US and Game TV/Fight Network in Canada at 8pm on Thursdays.
Vegan
Turning vegetarian as a teenager was the start of a journey towards veganism.
“I have been a vegetarian since I was fourteen for ethical reasons” Laura told Great Vegan Athletes. “I continued to eat eggs and dairy until I did some research on the dairy industry and discovered the horrific treatment of farm animals. I made the decision then and there that I would slowly eliminate dairy, eggs, honey, etc.”
“I went vegan about 3 ½ years ago [in late 2014]. It was a process that took time and patience. I wasn’t perfect, in fact I struggled a lot during the first year. That said, once I educated myself on how and what to eat, it became much easier.”
The measured approach means that Laura has made the transition successfully and can manage the demands of her career and staying vegan on the move.
“I am completely vegan. I don’t ever eat animal products. Even while traveling, which I do frequently, I always find vegan options or bring my own.”
Fighting fit
Unsurprisingly, Laura has a demanding training schedule. “I start my day off with fasted cardio, either sprints (HIIT) or steady state depending on how my body is feeling on that particular day” she says. “I then go back in the evenings to lift weights. I also do yoga two to three times a week and train in kickboxing.”
So, we asked her what she eats. “Fruit, tofu, tempeh, vegetables (lots and lots of vegetables), sweet potato, nut butters. My favourite non healthy treat is cashew milk ice cream.”
With so much success behind her, few question Laura’s approach to food.
“I began working with a coach a couple of years ago” she says “and although he hadn’t worked with a vegan athlete before he was open to learning. He encouraged me to actually eat more and helped me to develop a balance between food and exercise.”
Dreams and inspiration
Having hit so many goals, Laura has different ones in her sights now and she wants to “inspire young girls and boys to follow their dreams even if their dreams seem obscure or out of the box. If I can do that” she says “I will retire happy.”
She also wants to prove the value of veganism.
“I want people to know that you can be a high level athlete while maintaining a plant based/vegan diet. There is a lot of misinformation out there pertaining to fitness, nutrition, supplementation, etc. and it’s important to assess your own truths, goals and beliefs rather than listening to what other people tell you.
“Look at where that information is coming from and if it’s really there to help you or to help them/their company. Do your research, read, watch programs, ultimately educate yourself. It took a lot of work and patience to eliminate animal products, but I did it and I have never felt better.”