Pain and beauty

Pain and beauty

Not long ago, Katie Lea Burchill was a tomboy growing up in Germany with the understanding that any kind of physical aggression was not right. Now, she is a resident of Tampa, Fla., and one of the Sexiest Women on Television, earning one of the quickest title opportunities in Divas history.

Needless to say, spending all of her time with boys in grade school didn't hurt her in her road to becoming a WWE Diva.

"I was more comfortable around boys than girls," she explained.

Before she ever had dreams of being in the ring, however, Katie imagined herself on a different stage. Movies were her passion, and she still hopes to be involved in any way possible, whether it's acting or writing.

"I used to read a lot of books. I used to write a lot of stories too. Writing and acting were my favorite things."

Katie didn't have to look far to find drama. Her father sang opera and her mother danced ballet. The future Diva would find herself going to the theater on nearly a weekly basis.

"It was always what I loved," she said. "In school, I always wanted to the play the main part."

Her experience performing has given her an edge, adjusting to sports-entertainment.

"I'm shy in social situations, but not on stage. I'm not scared going out there. To me, the stage is the most comfortable place in the world."

Katie first watched WWE when she was 14. She found out how much performing went into the art and fell in love.

"I was amazed," she said. "I thought it was the greatest thing ever. When I was 16, we got cable and I started watching it all the time."

Though she had to put aside her hobby of writing short movies, Katie found a creative outlet with her role at WWE. Still, she hopes to return to writing movies in conjunction with being a Diva.

Her road to WWE began after graduation. She moved to England to study drama while attending a wrestling school.

Katie took the independent wrestling circuit by storm. She won championships in three separate establishments, including becoming a two-time Ohio Valley Wrestling Women's Champion when she came to the States in 2006.

"I love it here," she said, adding that people are the only things she misses about Germany and England. "If I move, that place becomes my home."

Katie's work in acting, as well as some martial arts background, is not all that prepares her for the squared circle.

"I have some hidden anger that sometimes needs to be released," she admitted. Sure to strike fear into her opponents, she added, "I don't mind getting hurt either. I actually like pain, so it works out well."

Right now, Katie's dream is to become the best Diva in WWE history. She has no plans to be anything else, as she considers herself to be the perfect fit for the role.

"Performing is the thing that makes me happy more than anything else," she said.

She's certainly on the right path to making her mark in Divas history, with a championship opportunity already under her belt. And her enthusiasm and talent is enough to propel her to exactly where she dreams of being.

As Katie said, "Anything is possible if you believe it."

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