“I’ve always been in brawls and always been wanting to push that pace,” Calderwood said. “Right now, for my camp, it’s good to make sure I’m getting those scrambles in the gym, so I’ve just been making sure I’m getting that feeling and working on my cardio, as always. It’s about going in there knowing I’ve been there before, and that I can push that pace – just be in the moment and get that grind.”
Although Calderwood proudly represents Scotland, she has called Las Vegas home for several years now, training at Syndicate MMA under the tutelage of coach and now-fiancé John Wood. When she first arrived at the gym, Calderwood said fellow flyweight contender Roxanne Modafferi played a big part in welcoming her to the mat. The two would take turns running over to Wood to ask questions, and a constructive competitiveness pushed both to improve.
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“I would be like, ‘Roxanne is doing this, how can we get better,’” Calderwood said. “She would be doing the same. We kept just getting bigger and bigger, and this is actually the first camp I’ve not had Roxanne in my camp, so it’s pretty sad because she’s recovering from her surgery, but it’s been a great three years. I did not think it would grow, but now, there’s more Roxannes, there’s more awesome people on the mat, and I’m grateful for that.”
The growth of the “Syndi-chicks,” as Calderwood calls them, is something in which she takes pride. However, when asked if she feels like she has become that veteran on the mat, the one that has opened the door for other women the way Modafferi did for her, she is a little bit more shy about it.
