—By Sarah Bathke, BA ’25 (journalism), UO Alumni Association communications generalist
When WWE wrestler Sol Ruca was six years old, her parents didn't want her to do gymnastics. Her mother had spent her life coaching and competing in the sport, and knew the physical toll it could take. So instead, Ruca's parents sent her to ballet classes. When she got there, the UO alumna, otherwise known as Calyx Hampton, BS ’21 (psychology), started doing pullover tricks and flips on the barre.
"[My mom] was like 'God, she's going to be a gymnast,' so she took me to a gymnastics class, and I just fell in love with it," Ruca said.
Flash forward 21 years later, and Ruca is a wrestler on WWE's main roster, performing live each week in front of millions on the brand's flagship show, Raw.
Finding her groove
Ruca said that she never anticipated becoming a professional wrestler with WWE. She didn't grow up watching it or learning about the world of professional wrestling. Similarly, she didn't expect to go into acrobatics and tumbling until she decided to take a chance at the end of her high school gymnastics career.
"I did gymnastics pretty much my whole life, and I got to a point where I was a little bit burnt out of gymnastics. I wanted to try something new."
She started training in acrobatics and tumbling with one of her high school coaches who was familiar with the sport and participated in exhibitions and events where she could try out her new-found skills. There, she fell in love with the sport, and soon after, the California native fell in love with the UO.
"I wanted to go to a big school with school spirit [that] was super into sports because I went to such a small high school. I wanted something different and that's when I found Oregon . . . Oregon was the one [school] where I was like 'I actually feel like I could live here for four years and have a really good time,'" she said.
As a base and tumbler on Oregon’s acrobatics & tumbling team, she helped the Ducks to a 7-3 season and a National Collegiate Acrobatics and Tumbling Association National Championship runner-up finish in 2019. She was also named a NCATA Freshman of the Week in 2018.
While finding her footing as a member of the acrobatics & tumbling team, she was exploring new paths off the mat, too. She'd started her first year at the UO as a human physiology major with the goal of becoming a chiropractor, but after a challenging start to the major, she decided to reevaluate. Her love for learning about the human body led her to pursue psychology, where she focused on child development.
After graduating, she moved to Hawaiʻi, where she began working as a personal trainer.
"I was in this transition period where I was just trying to figure out exactly what I wanted to do. That year after you graduate is kind of for that . . . so I was just trying to have fun and figure out myself and what I wanted to do," she said.
Then came a direct message on social media from a WWE recruiter inviting her to try out in Orlando, Florida at the WWE Performance Center.
"Because I wasn't a fan, I thought it was like UFC. I was like, 'I'm not doing that. I don't know how to fight. There's no way.' I ended up doing my research and watching some matches, and I was like, 'Oh, hell yeah, this is sick. I could totally do this. Why not?'"
Following her tryout, she was invited back to Orlando to train with the WWE. In the summer of 2022, she debuted as Sol Ruca—a surfer girl with an edge billed from Honolulu, Hawaiʻi.
"I think wrestling came at the perfect time because I didn't really have anything solid grounding me anywhere. That's why it also was really easy for me to just wing it and go see what happens," she said. "I'm a very fast learner. I love learning new things. I love challenging myself in different ways.
Ruca said that reflecting on her life, a constant desire to learn and an openness to new experiences are major themes.
"I think it's really cool to be someone who wasn't really involved in [wrestling] before and am able to perform at such a high level with my four years of experience. That's kind of been my life thus far, as well. Acro kind of came out of nowhere, but I got a scholarship for a sport I never played. Now, I'm a professional for another sport that I never played. It's been my life story thus far and I'm happy to be here," she said.
Caring for Calyx
Before Ruca won her NXT Women's North American Championship in April 2025 and the WWE Women's Intercontinental Championship in May 2026, she spent years preparing, working her way up the ranks, and making sure she was ready.
In 2023, she suffered a ruptured ACL and spent the next year recovering from surgery. Adjusting to the physical demands of her career took its toll, but she came back stronger, and with a new perspective on her drive.
"I realized that I needed to listen to my body a bit more and that it's okay not to perform at my best every single day, every single session. That was a really hard thing for me to grasp, but I returned a lot better than when I left," she said. "I'm actually very, very thankful I was able to take a step back from wrestling and watch and see what I did like, what I didn't like, and really fine tune who I wanted to be in the ring and how I wanted to present myself."
Through this season of recovery also came the opportunity to connect more with herself and her art. As she prepared to return to the ring after injury, Ruca—who dreamed of becoming a fashion designer as a kid—decided to create her own gear. She said being Sol Ruca is like being herself plus 10, and designing her WWE look helps her feel more confident.
"I bought a sewing machine and somewhat figured it out. It was hanging on by a thread, but it ended up working, and from then, I just kept at it, and I started to really enjoy it. I felt like I was healing a little part of my inner child being able to live out that dream I had at one point," Ruca said.
Photo courtesy of WWE.
A new obsession
Even when she's relaxing, Ruca’s mind drifts back to wrestling. When she's painting, drawing, and or doing graphic design, "I always end up [asking] 'How can I incorporate this into my gear?'" she said. When she's watching a movie or listening to music, she'll hear something and think about how she could use it in a promo.
"I definitely try and have other outlets where I can let go, but I'm a little bit obsessed with wrestling, so everything goes back into it," she said.
Before her WWE career, she was competing solo at gymnastics meets or alongside her Oregon teammates. Now, she's performing in sold-out arenas and for millions of TV viewers around the world. That passion for performing—her obsession with it—is what she loves the most.
"Now that I'm starting to get the feel for the crowd and am able to have fun with the crowd, it's so much fun going out and hearing all these fans," she said. "You're like, 'I don't even know if these people know me,' and you walk out and everyone's going crazy. This is insane. I can't believe people from all the way across the world know who I am and care about what I'm doing."