| Biography |
|
The following was prepared and written by Spence, the website owner, and is exclusive to thestratusphere.org. Patricia Anne Stratigias, known to most as Trish Stratus, was born on December 18th, 1975 in a suburb just outside of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Parents Alison and John provided Trish with a blend of both Polish and Greek to go along with her Canadian background. Raised in Richmond Hill, just north of Toronto, Trish grew up as the eldest of three children. 11 months younger than her is her sister Christy, followed by her even younger sister Melissa. Suffering from insomnia as a child, Trish found herself experiencing sleepless nights on many occasions. Also labeled as a trouble-maker, she was known to be the instigator when things got out of hand. Trish Stratus grew up in a large family, which included many cousins. The two cousins she spent the most time with were George and Jason. "They probably introduced me to wrestling first," Trish was quoted as saying in an interview. On occasion, Trish would team up with Jason in a tag team and take on her sister Christy and George, wrestling up in Jason's parent's bedroom. From field hockey to soccer, Trish was very active in sports - if it was competitive, she was there. "I think that's how I get my tomboy background," Trish said. "I had to keep up with the boys." Throughout most of her high school years, Trish was a straight A student, excelling in most of her classes. After graduating from Bayview High School in 1993, she chose to pursue a career in the medical profession by studying to become a doctor. While attempting a double-major in Biology and Kinesiology at York University, Trish found herself in hot water when her professors went on strike in 1997. While waiting for the professors to begin conducting classes again at the University, Trish Stratus took a job as a receptionist at a local gym where she met a well renowned Canadian trainer, Scot Able. Able introduced Trish to Robert Kennedy, a publisher for MuscleMag International. Kennedy liked what he saw and asked if she had any photos, which she couldn't provide because modeling was a new thing for her. Kennedy decided to set up a test shoot to see how she photographed. This turned into a 3-hour shoot that yielded 700 shots. She was then offered her first location shoot and given six months to prepare. For six months, Trish Stratus trained for her first location shoot, which was held in South Beach, Florida. The results where phenomenal after putting herself on a rigorous training schedule and new diet. "My motto in life is 'preparedness meets opportunity'." The photo shoot landed Trish a contract with MuscleMag International and her first magazine cover for the September 1998 edition of MuscleMag. Robert Kennedy patched her up, making her officially known as "Trish Stratus" - the hottest, newest fitness model. Her rise to fame came quickly and Stratus took on a number of signing sessions throughout North America and Europe. She even took part in a highly successful photo shoot with fellow fitness model, Stacey Lynn, which brought on the 'Dream Team' calendar series, lasting from 1999-2001. Word traveled fast and Stratus was soon labeled as 'Canada's Hottest Young Celebrity'. From there on in, Trish Stratus set up her official website online and made weekly appearances on Live Audio Wrestling, a radio show in Toronto. Many opportunities came from being a well-known fitness model, such as appearing on TSN's "Off The Record", which caused rumors to arise that she may be going to the WWE. Eventually, Stratus went backstage at a WWE event where she met a couple of agents. They suggested that she send Jim Ross, head of the company's Talent Relations, a press kit and that's exactly what she did. The WWE wasn't the only company that was interested in her. Other companies sent offers her way, such as World Championship Wrestling (WCW). However, Stratus' heart has always been with the WWE and she placed her signature on their doted line in late November of 1999. The first thing Stratus was told, upon entering the WWE, was that she needed to gain some experience in the ring. Sure enough, she enrolled for training under the guidance of Ron Hutchison. There, she wasn't afraid of getting bruised up and insisted on being treated just like everyone else. The wrestling world was catching wind with rumors of Stratus' pending arrival to the WWE. Eventually, the long wait was over when she made her official debut during an episode of Sunday Night Heat on March 19th, 2000. Her character was defined as a valet for the team of Test and Albert (TNA). Stratus didn't wrestle much at first, only making cameo appearances between the ropes on few occasions. It was clear from the beginning that she was the centerpiece of the group, garnishing all the attention. Her wardrobe consisted of cowboy hats, long jackets and mini-skirts. While apart of TNA, Trish Stratus was involved in many memorable storylines. From feuds with the Dudley Boyz, Hardy Boyz and APA to involvements with Val Venis, Stratus quickly made her mark in the business. Over time, the team of TNA died out and Stratus set her eyes on a new man - Vince McMahon. The storyline with Vince McMahon led to a feud with the owner's daughter, Stephanie McMahon. This opened the door to her very first PPV singles match at No Way Out on February 25th, 2001. It was a turning point in Stratus' career, realizing that she really enjoyed in-ring action. Her involvement with Vince McMahon came to a close at WrestleMania X7 when she slapped that taste out of his mouth. After being embarrassed on numerous occasions, from being drenched with a bucket full of muck to being instructed to bark like a dog in front of millions, Stratus simply had enough of the McMahons. From there, she was on her own and going solo was no problem for the blonde vixen. Trish Stratus was finally given the chance to re-invent her character, changing it from sexy, heel valet to baby-face wrestler. Due in part that she was getting in the ring more and more, Stratus decided to brush up her skills and improve her performance. In the process of training, she was sidelined when she broke off a peace of bone from her ankle. During her time out, Stratus took the opportunity to study the business and re-learned the craft of appreciating what a fan wants to see in both the wrestler and character. She was able to determine what she wanted to do upon her return and what she would do to achieve it. Before her return to the WWE, the company placed the blonde bombshell in the co-host position on 'WWE Excess', a two hour recap show that aired every Saturday night. Alongside Jonathan Coachman, Stratus was seen reviewing the events that took place on WWE TV. She settled into the role quickly and her on-screen chemistry with The Coach was a hit with the viewers. However, once she was able to return to the ring, nothing held her back. After 5 months on the show, she left her co-host position and returned to WWE action. Her return to the ring concurred with the arrival of Dave "Fit" Finlay, who helped develop the Divas of the Women's division. The two worked hand-in-hand on getting her wrestling career moving forward. "I think he kind of assessed me athletically," Stratus said. "I'd be willing to try anything he offered." Finlay saw something in her that he'd not seen in most female wrestlers and he knew he could turn this aggressive lady into a competitor. More fierce and more determined then ever before, Stratus returned to the squared circle with her eyes set on the gold - the WWE Women's Championship. On November 18th, 2001, she captured that gold after defeating Ivory, Jacqueline, Jazz, Lita and Molly Holly in a six pack challenge at Survivor Series. The line up had most fans not giving Stratus any chance of winning, but that night she proved she was more then just a pretty face - she was a champion. - Page 02 - Refresh Page - Rewind Back |