Rising to the Top as Team USA Representative

Shea Scarborough, a marketing and sports administration student at the University of Cincinnati, has won the Lei Tai division at the Sanda World Championships, representing Team USA.

Sanda is a full-contact combat sport developed from traditional Chinese martial arts, featuring a style similar to mixed martial arts (MMA) that combines kicks, punches, and grappling. Lei Tai competitions take place on elevated platforms 60cm high instead of standard mats, requiring athletes to demonstrate superior technique and balance.

Reflecting on his victory, Scarborough said, "It didn't feel real yet. But my Team USA coach told me, 'You just won. You're a world champion. You can smile.'"

Martial Arts Career Built Since High School

Scarborough began training in taekwondo as a child and competed on his high school wrestling team. He started sanda during his freshman year of high school when Vincent Meng, a fellow taekwondo practitioner, recruited him to join a newly formed sanda team at Meng's Martial Arts gym in Huber Heights, Ohio.

While sanda remains most popular in Asia and Europe, the sport has been growing rapidly in the Americas. This season alone, Scarborough competed in twice as many matches as his entire career combined as he prepared for international competition.

Scholar-Athlete Champion Balancing Academics and Competition

Scarborough is more than just an athlete. He is a first-year member of the Hoffman Honors Scholars program at UC and serves as a Lindner College of Business ambassador. He also participates in the University Honors Program and Lindner Business Honors-PLUS.

Balancing international competition with a demanding academic schedule proved challenging, but Scarborough fulfilled all his responsibilities throughout what he described as "a really intense fall semester."

Professional Sports Marketing Aspirations

Scarborough has expressed his goal of working in marketing within the professional sports industry after graduation. "I definitely want to work in sports," he said, noting his interest in Cincinnati's professional football, baseball, soccer, and hockey teams. He recalled that it wasn't until his senior year of high school that he "realized sports could be a career."

He is currently actively seeking co-op and internship opportunities to advance toward this goal, and plans to expand his involvement in Hoffman Honors Scholar events and Lindner ambassador activities during the spring 2026 semester.

Preparing for the 2026 Season

Scarborough's championship victory automatically qualifies him for the 2026 international competition main event. He hopes to compete in the Pan-American Championships scheduled to be held in Argentina.

Scarborough's success in balancing academics, athletics, and community involvement while becoming a world champion exemplifies the "Bearcat pride" spirit at the University of Cincinnati.