The News

More than just a pretty face, Trish Stratus is kicking, fighting, and wrestling her way around the globe, teaching us about cultural traditions from Iceland to Vietnam.

Behind the News

The blonde Greek bombshell, named WWE Diva of the Decade and a seven time WWE Women’s Champion, has been busy since she left the ring. She married her high school sweetheart, appeared on short-lived reality show Armed & Famous, hosted Second City’s Next Comedy Legend, and opened her own yoga studio in Toronto, Canada.

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Now Stratus is the host of new travel adventure show, Stratusphere, which debuted September 1st on Travel + Escape and Discovery Channel HD. Filming took her around the globe to New Zealand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Fiji, Indonesia, India, Norway, and Iceland. Before she headed back to the airport, NewsExtesions.com got half an hour with the energetic Ms. Stratus.

NewsExtensions.com: Describe your new TV series, Stratusphere.

Trish Stratus: It’s a cultural adventure, a culmination of everything I’ve done in the past. I combined my athleticism and my ability to create something very different.

NE: Had you been to any of the places featured in Stratusphere before?

TS: I had been to Norway and New Zealand when I was with the WWE, but I hadn’t been to any of the Asian countries, the South Pacific islands or Iceland. Each place was such as a great experience and every trip seemed to get better than the previous one.

NE: Did you get recognized?

TS: In Iceland, I asked if the WWE had aired there, which it hadn’t. But when I started training in a local gym, lots of fans showed up and I found out they had watched me on YouTube. While I was in Java, a small island in Indonesia, a little girl imitated the entrance I did when I came into the ring. That was hilarious!

NE: How did you prepare to kick butt across the globe?

TS: I have a fight background but it was hard to prepare for each one, since each trip was very different. The travel was pretty crazy and as we were filming we were creating the template of each show. I figured out pretty quickly to get as much rest as possible, since we often started filming after we arrived.

NE: How did the show develop?

TS: There was pressure on me since I’m the host and the network was surprised at what I did during filming. As we filmed, we figured out what worked. It was very like me to be jumping in, like becoming an auctioneer while I was in southern India. I’m very hands on.

NE: Did you ever feel out of your element because you’re a woman?

TS: The people I met were very generous in wanting to teach me their traditional sport, whether it was sword fighting in India or boxing in Thailand. I’m a tomboy, so once they saw me in action, they realized I was up for the challenge.

NE: What new skills did you learn?

TS: Reindeer racing, Icelandic wrestling, different kinds of mixed martial arts, paragliding, and Muay Thai boxing. I learned so much about different cultures and how these activities are integral to their lives.

NE: Did you ever get hurt?

TS: I’ve been injured a lot in my life so bumps and bruises are pretty normal for me. While I was learning Muay Thai boxing, I had never sparred, so when I did, my foot looked like I had swallowed a tennis ball. It took a few weeks for that to disappear.

NE: Do you have a travel ritual?

TS: Oh yes! After travelling a week out of every month for five months in a row, I created a travel regimen for myself. I’m sure I annoyed other passengers, but every two hours I would moisturize and hydrate. I was always excusing myself to go to the bathroom.

NE: I know you’re a yoga fanatic; did you maintain your yoga schedule while travelling?

TS: I usually do an hour and a half on a daily basis, but I couldn’t do that when I was filming. When I was in India I got to meet a local yoga master and I did indulge, but most of the time I would do 10 minutes each morning to get my body going and 20 minutes each evening to revitalize before I went to bed.

NE: What’s the secret to avoid jet lag?

TS: A homeopathic remedy called No Jet Lag. It works! I was the only member of the crew who never got sick.

NE: Did you have a favourite destination?

TS: If I had to choose, since each place was so memorable, it would have to be Bali. I got to see this 8th century temple with amazing carvings and several Buddhas. It was massive, at least several football field lengths. It was very spiritual for me and I was so lucky to see it.

NE: So, where to next?

TS: I’m off to Greece with my entire family. My family owns a home in Sparta and my cousins and I always wanted to vacation there at the same time. I decided to plan another trip, bring everyone, so we could have a holiday together – my husband, my parents, the whole family. I can’t wait, although I’ll probably wonder why I’m not being filmed.

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