‘Almost Like Being In Avatar’ – How Paige Ivette Clymer Finds Her Rhythm In The Saddle Ahead Of ONE Debut
ONE Championship newcomer Paige Ivette Clymer’s signature cowgirl hat is certainly not just a promotional accessory.
The 33-year-old American wears it proudly because it reflects a core part of her identity that has grown far beyond a simple sense of style. Away from the daily grind of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, the grueling competition circuits, and the suffocating intensity of elite submission grappling, the Legion American Jiu Jitsu Academy black belt has developed a profound love for horseback riding.
Clymer is set to make her highly anticipated ONE debut against teenage phenom Helena Crevar in a 10-minute openweight submission grappling contest at The Inner Circle 22 on Friday, July 17. The blockbuster event streams live from Bangkok’s iconic Lumpinee Stadium exclusively for members at live.onefc.com.
The 2025 ADCC West Coast Trials winner brings a remarkable 118-7 grappling record into her promotional debut. But before she tests her world-class skills on the global stage, Clymer is happy to showcase a much different side of herself: the San Diego native who feels absolutely most at home in the saddle.
A Childhood Ride In Tennessee
Clymer’s deep relationship with horses began long before she ever tied a black belt around her waist or built her fearsome reputation on the mats.
Her very first ride came during a childhood trip to Tennessee. The initial experience gave her a beautiful, positive memory, but it also quickly evolved into one of those memorable family stories that stayed with her for years.
She recalled:
“When I was eight years old, I visited my own father in Tennessee, and that’s the first time I rode a horse.”
Clymer never carried an ounce of fear from that first experience, but her sister’s turn on that exact same horse ended very differently following an unexpected scare.
After that chaotic afternoon, horses remained more of a fond childhood memory than a regular part of Clymer’s active life. It would take many years and one specific invitation before she finally found her way back to the saddle.
She said:
“It’s a funny story. I rode a horse, and then my sister got up on the same horse, but then a dog started running around that horse, and the dog spooked the horse, and my sister fell off and broke her arm. So I never had any negative interactions with horses, although my sister did.
“And so then, like, 15 years later, my friend asked me to go, and then it’s kind of just never stopped from there.”
Finding The Saddle Again
That long hiatus officially ended around 2020, when fellow combat sports athlete Jessica Penne invited Clymer to ride in California.
By then, she had spent years aggressively forging her body as a competitive athlete and grappler, but returning to the saddle after such a massive break still brought a wave of nerves. Riding required an entirely different kind of physical awareness. It was not just about brute strength, heavy balance, or sheer toughness. It was deeply rooted in patience, presence, and connection.
Clymer said:
“I was absolutely terrified in the beginning, because it was just something so new, but then my friend, she’s very spiritual, and she was like, ‘The horse can feel you. You have to talk to it.’”
The more Clymer rode, the more she intimately understood that horses respond directly to a rider’s energy and direction. A rider’s mental focus matters immensely. Looking down, tensing up, or becoming internally unsure can drastically affect where the animal wants to go.
That unspoken relationship absolutely fascinated her. The initial fear slowly faded, ultimately replaced by a profound feeling of trust and rhythm that made riding feel almost otherworldly.
She explained:
“When you start riding, you learn wherever I look, that’s where the horse is gonna look. So if I’m looking down at the saddle or the reins, the horse is gonna start looking down and being unsure of where to go.
“It’s so cool. It’s almost like being in Avatar. You know when they put their little hair together and they just sync? I was nervous in the beginning, and then the more you do it, the more comfortable you get. And the relationship that you build with the horse, as well, is very special.”
A Passion That Runs In The Family
What initially began as Clymer’s rediscovered personal passion eventually blossomed into something her entire family could share together.
Her mother had always harbored a dream of being around horses, and Clymer actively helped bring her into that equestrian world. It was a completely natural fit for a family that had already been deeply connected to animals through its long-running dog grooming business.
The 33-year-old shared:
“My mom always wanted to be around horses. My family, we own a dog grooming business, so since I was 10 years old, we’ve been dog groomers.”
That specific journey came with its own set of challenges. Her mother was once bucked off and became understandably scared, so Clymer patiently helped find her a smaller quarter horse with a much calmer temperament. Now, her mother has a horse that she boards, and riding has become a beloved staple of the family’s life.
For Clymer, that shared reality makes the dream vastly bigger than her own time in the saddle. She still loves riding fast and chasing the exhilarating feeling of pure rhythm when horse and rider move together perfectly. But the deeper, driving goal remains much more personal: helping her mother build a peaceful future around the animals she has always loved.
She concluded:
“I think now that she’s older, she just wants to get some land, have horses, and just have stalls and take care of horses. And that’s kind of my goal, is just to get her that land so she can have all the horses.
“What I love about riding is the connection you get from the horse. When you find that stride, and you’re cantering and you’re going faster, it’s so beautiful once you find that rhythm.”
