Olympic wrestler turned lawyer strives to know thyself in the pursuit of a good life.

Patricia Miranda decided to defer law school for a couple of years to, oh, become the first American woman to medal in wrestling at the Olympics. She took bronze in the 48-kilogram weight class at the 2004 Athens games. Now the Yale Law School grad, who earned a bachelor’s at Stanford University, is an immigration attorney with offices in Monterey and Salinas. Though her athletic career ended in 2009 after an unsuccessful bid for the 2008 Olympics, she’s wrestling with new challenges: one toddler and another on the way. Miranda spoke to the Weekly about life, law, and being the daughter of a Brazilian immigrant.

How’d you get into wrestling?

I was lucky enough to stumble upon wrestling in middle school. I wrestled boys through high school and college and got into the women’s circuit. The year following [Stanford] I decided to defer law school and make a full-time training run, so we moved to the Olympic training center in Colorado Springs. I made the team and got to have a great experience.

When did law gain your interest?

The first time I wanted to be a lawyer was in high school. I had joined the guys’ wrestling team. My biggest opponent to joining was my father. He made a big resistance – he’d take me out of practice, pull me out of tournaments. He said, “I’m going to sue the school if they’re going to let you wrestle – you’re the only girl, it’s dangerous.” [Then I] encountered Title IX and figured out somebody somewhere cared enough to forge rights for me.

Is it difficult to be a woman wrestler?

Wrestling is hard no matter what: getting pushed to your limits, finding your humility. There’s always someone who is going to beat you in a primitive way. I don’t want to say it’s harder being a girl or a boy. But in college my teammates were like, ‘Don’t get hurt out there.’ You could tell they were somewhat in fear for my life. I’m not sure boys had to deal with that.

What’s your biggest accomplishment?

I don’t think I’d pick athletics or academics. It’s a lifelong pursuit to live a life well-balanced, and not lose perspective. I’m in this search for perspective, which I equate with wisdom. That means stumbling a lot, or else you’ll never have that depth in your character. Accomplishment-wise: recently deciding to start on our own in law, and raising a child, and trying to still stay involved in the community and balancing those things. It’s the toughest thing I’ve done.

Who would you wrestle if you could choose anyone?

Margaret Thatcher. The reason has nothing to do with the actual combat. After you have a good go with someone, and you’re just exhausted, lying there on the mat, that’s when you can say, ‘Well this person’s alright.’ We can level. I’d been struggling most of my middle years with what it means to be a woman – can women be powerful without sacrificing a strong urge to be family-centered, etc. I’d love to have that ‘give me your wisdom’ moment.

Where would the world be without immigration?

Well, inbred for one. The churning of people and ideas around the world, I think it’s hard to deny that it doesn’t make a people stronger, a state stronger, an economy stronger. It’s easy to blame immigrants or anybody on the fringe when life isn’t perfectly well. But immigration more often than not is going to be part of a solution to make things better.

What motivates you?

My mother died [when] I was 10. There were some years where my subconscious just worked on that – mortality and not having a mom. I just knew that for me, the only thing I had in this world – because I just saw it taken from my mom – was the body I have and the mind I have. I was like, ‘I’m at least going to get to know this as much as I can before I die.’ I have a better window into myself when I’m scared and tested and my mind doesn’t get to spin things nicely. That’s what wrestling was. Sometimes [I’d] go home and say, ‘Well, I was a coward today. But I get to change that tomorrow.’ I took that to other areas too. I might not be Einstein, but I’m going to take multivariable calculus because I want to know where that limit is. I want to know how dumb I am. I want to know who I am before I die.