When Sara Topp discloses what she considers the “best cardio ever,” it may make some die-hard gym rats do a double take.
“Jiu-jitsu,” she insists. “You’re essentially using techniques to keep another person from submitting you with their body, while at the same time trying to submit them with your body. It’s super intense.”
Sara is full of unexpected insights, proven tips, and aha moments that women from all walks of life can find value in. Currently the proud owner of a one-stripe brown belt, she’s helping to spread her love of the sport through Topp Performance, the studio that she and her husband own in their hometown of Port Elgin, Ontario. And it’s not just on the mat where she’s making herself known. From the weight room floor to social media, she’s showing up for her followers, her clients, and her family, one sweat session at a time.
"There’s just something about watching myself in the mirror and lifting heavy weights."
Making It Work
If you follow Sara on Instagram (and you should, at @sara.topp), you’ll be well acquainted with a smiling face that’s often featured in her posts. No, not her own, and no, not her husband Jesse’s. It’s her son Myer’s, who at the time of publication will be about to ring in his 20th month of adorableness.
These photos almost didn’t happen. Several years ago, Sara discovered she was facing a big uphill battle in her quest to start a family. With fertility issues on the table, she and Jesse put their parental plans in the hands of doctors, and with the help of IVF, Sara was thankfully able to conceive.
Her candor as she speaks about the reality that she and thousands of other women face is refreshing, and she’s certainly not one to shy away from topics others may deem difficult or private.
“I wanted everybody to know that was our reality, because I didn’t want to feel like I was alone in it,” says the now 38-year-old on why she chose to be so open online. Though it’s of course up to the individual whether or not they divulge personal health information, for Sara, it was the right move.
And her ability to be honest and empathetic on social media, a medium that’s more often than not disingenuous, extends beyond her struggles with conception. Sara recently revealed to her followers that she was diagnosed with premenstrual dysphoric disorder, or PMDD, a chronic condition that results in extreme symptoms in the week leading up to menstruation. Think of it as PMS turned up to 11.
“There’s no shame in mental health issues,” she stresses. “We all go through points where we’re not feeling our greatest. And coming into my mid-thirties, I started noticing that at least once a month or so, my mood would drastically shift, and I’d have one or two days where I’d go into a really depressive state.” These dark periods always seemed to align with her menstrual cycle, and after a trip to her doctor, she realized her suspicions were right. Together they found a medication schedule that worked for her and her health history. “I found relief the first month, and I’m still on it today,” she shares.
Getting Down to Business
In her hometown of Port Elgin, Sara and her husband own what she describes as a “little 24-hour gym.” But she’s quick to correct herself.
“I shouldn’t say little—it’s still quite a large building, but it’s an older building,” she says. “I don’t want to say we’re grungy, because that’s not the right word, but we’re not an Anytime Fitness.” It’s a back-to-basics, character-filled, authentic space that has been embraced by the community for its down-and-dirty feel. “When we started the gym, my husband and I joked that, because we aren’t the type of people who like to train in a brand-new facility where we feel like we’re going to scuff things up or break them, our gym should reflect that,” Sara jokes. “People who are there are serious about working out, that kind of vibe.”
Something that further sets their facility apart is that it’s home to their martial arts academy, where they teach adults and children alike the benefits of jiu-jitsu. The program started in their previous, smaller facility, in the same town. And they didn’t even need to do much advertising: people found out through word of mouth.
“My husband (who had introduced her to the sport years prior) and I were at the time training a town over, and it was a bit of a drive to get there every day,” she recalls. “So we’re like, maybe we can start training in town, here in our little studio. Once people heard that we were offering jiu-jitsu—we weren’t really actively selling it—more people started coming to train with us. And we’re like, oh, this is actually blowing up!”
On the heels of their newfound popularity, they “opened” another space in their studio to focus strictly on martial arts, and it followed them to their current location, which they took ownership of during COVID when another pair of gym owners decided to hang up their proverbial sneakers and pass the torch.
“I had been bugging Jesse for a couple of years about opening a 24-hour gym,” she says of their decision to put in a bid for the property. “I said, ‘We need to do it. There’s a lot of shift workers in this town. It would take right off.’ So it was the perfect opportunity.” And ever since, they’ve been lifting, sweating, and kicking their way to local notoriety, one class at a time.
The mental, emotional, and physical benefits of jiu-jitsu keep Sara coming back for more.
Grappling with Success
After training in jiu-jitsu for more than 10 years, Sara speaks with authority on the sport’s belt system and its universal benefits for men, women, and children. Aside from the empowerment aspect, it teaches students about their bodies and how to move with precision and purpose.
As Sara explains, “You’re constantly battling control over somebody else’s body. When you’re new to it, you don’t yet have the technique, so you’re going crazy trying to find a way out of a hold or trying to defend yourself. But as you go through the belt system and you gain more knowledge, you slow down a little bit and become a little bit more technical.” No matter your level, you’re constantly moving—hence why it’s Sara’s absolute favorite type of cardio. “It’s a win-win situation as far as workouts go.”
When she’s not sparring on the mat, Sara’s lifting heavy at the weight rack—a fact that’s apparent just by looking at her shredded upper body. Body part splits are a cornerstone of her fitness approach, and she recognizes the importance of focusing on muscle groups that may not be as strong as others. In her case, it’s her glutes.
“I feel like my glutes are my weakest muscles, so I train them the most, and then everything else is kind of maintenance,” she says. “I mean, I don’t hate to train them, but shoulders are definitely my favorite. There’s just something about watching myself in the mirror and lifting heavy weights. I just love the way they look.”
Art Imitating Life
It’s this self-love that Sara hopes translates to her followers online, her gym’s members, and those in her inner circle. And that level of confidence and appreciation for what her body is capable of extends to how she decorates it. Her tattoos aren’t just ornamental; they are representative of things (and people) she holds near and dear. In addition to her son’s name on her stomach, she has two others with surprising meanings. The mandala on her shoulder represents the idea that everything is connected—“I actually didn’t know that until after I got it,” she admits, adding, “I thought it would look badass”—while the lotus on her wrist hits home even more.
“A lotus symbolizes overcoming adversity, and that’s something I’ve experienced multiple times in my life,” she shares. Now stronger than ever in body, mind, and character, there’s little to stop Sara from continuing her upward trajectory—and we’re looking forward to following every riveting moment online.
Photography by Paul Buceta
Hair & Makeup by Monica Kalra
