Daily Inspiration: Meet Robin Torres

Today we’d like to introduce you to Robin Torres.

Hi Robin, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA until I was 17 years old. I grew up a product of divorced parents and a survivor of both sexual and physical abuse. After experiencing a lot of hardship in my life, I knew from a young age that I wanted to do something “different” with my life. I’m also the oldest of nine and so I wanted to be the best role model possible for them and that really embarked my journey.

None of my family had really ever left California, so I made it my goal to leave the state after high school. That’s when I started wrestling. It was my senior year of high school and wrestling changed my life. I received a few scholarships offers that year and landed on Mckendree University in Lebanon, IL. I was a part of the very first Women’s Wrestling team at the university. Fast forward a few years and I found myself in Missouri. I am currently a realty coordinator with Veteran’s United Realty assisting veterans and military members alike on their path to home ownership. During the winter season, I’m coaching boy’s and girl’s wrestling at Battle High School. I didn’t start competing in pageants until 2020. That was the summer we were amidst covid, and I had actually been housing two college athletes who had to decide between paying for cost of living on their own or going back to college. I flash-backed to when I had to make the same decision for myself and I, unfortunately, couldn’t afford to go back to school.

After watching a few Miss USA’s, I heard Anea Garcia’s story. It consisted of hardship similar to what I had experienced in my life, and it resonated so much that I decided right then I wanted to be the change for all the 10-year-old Robins of the world. I was crowned Miss Missouri Earth in Louisville, KY on August 13th, 2022. I’ve had such a phenomenal year already creating The Treasured Program, which was inspired by the two girls I housed that summer. I’ve been able to be active in the community, and I’m so excited to be in Orlando, FL for Miss Earth USA in January.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I don’t believe anything you want in life truly comes without struggle. When I first began competing and even up until competing for my current title, my size/look has been an issue. I’ve been told from quite a few people that I don’t fit the mold or I’m too big, or “I need to work on my fitness”. So overcoming that outside pressure to be something other than myself has definitely been really hard. I’m an enneagram three and so I’m an over-achiever by heart. Trying to balance my career, coaching boys’ and girls’ wrestling, while being active in my community and staying consistent with my pageant prep can be overwhelming sometimes as well, but it’s so important to have an amazing support system and a solid plan.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I really get to be a part of work that’s super amazing and it always makes me so excited!

I am currently a licensed real estate agent and a realty coordinator with Veteran’s United Realty. I speak to veterans, active duty members, and their families daily to help assist them on their path to home ownership. Often times buying a home in not black and white and situations vary vastly that can change what buying a home will look like. I get to help people really learn about the process and make sure we can assist them on all ends to make it a smooth and successful affair,

I also am one of the only women in the state of Missouri to coach girls’ and boys’ wrestling. I am a coach at Battle High School in Columbia, Missouri. I could talk about wrestling all day, but the biggest thing is that while it’s the oldest sport around, it’s still very new for girls. When I was a freshmen in college, there were only 23 college teams. Now there are over 100. After my first season at Battle, I had two seniors become collegiate athletes, and to me that’s the why behind it all. Not to get my kids to continue to wrestle, that’s not the goal. But to get them to the next step of life with success and ease. Wrestling teaches so many life skills and prepped me so well. I am trying to do the same for all my athletes. This is only my fourth season as a coach and I’m really excited to continue growing.

I also have just began The Treasured Program. It is a mentorship program for first-generation college students (freshmen) to help them navigate through their first year of college. Often times we tell students to work hard and go to college, but we never tell them what to do once they’ve arrived. As a first-generation college student myself, my parents assisted the best they could but sometimes they just didn’t know the answers. Neither did I. I wanted to create an olive branch for those students, to have a mentor to be able to answer their questions. Whether it’s regarding things that are financial, or even regarding their mental health. I’m really excited to see it grow.

Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
So I mentioned wrestling quite a bit in here, but something people really don’t hear from me is that I actually spent 10 years in the performing arts! I did theatre, dance, and show choir simultaneously from the age of 9 years old. I was actually set on going to a performing arts college before I started wrestling. It’s probably why the stage seemed like home when I started pageants.

Contact Info:

• Website: missmoearthusa2022.my.canva.site
• Instagram: @sassandglitter_ / @missmissouriearth
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/missmissouriearth/

Image Credits
Crowning photo: @moda_chic_photography headshot: @deoncaseyphotography