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Yessenia Cossio: the Steep Climb to the Top as a Stuntwoman

In today’s world, many people are unwilling to let go of their comfortable but unfulfilling life to seek out their passion. However, some individuals dare to undertake the arduous journey required in making their dreams a reality against all odds. One such individual is Miami-born Yessenia Cossio, who quit her nine-to-five job and risked financial instability to pursue her dreams.

Born Yessenia Cossio-Alonso to Cuban immigrants as the second child on December 31, 1988, Yessenia was a nine-year-old girl when she found her interest in singing. She was encouraged and enrolled in singing classes, where she performed in the school chorus and local church. Even at that young age, Yessenia had an unshakable feeling that a piece of herself was missing.

In 2006, Yessenia Cossio played her first dialogue script about women’s rights in her English class. Her performance was so good that her teacher and classmates encouraged her to join the drama class to finesse her acting skills. To fund her dream of becoming an actor, Yessenia took a full-time job as a computer technical support specialist at Sears Telemarketing Center and was promoted within a year. Despite her success in her career, Yessenia had a gnawing feeling to pursue her passion, and she quit her job for a part-time job. After seven years, Yessenia Cossio took a leap of faith, left the corporate world, became unemployed, and gave full attention to her dreams.

In January 2013, Yessenia multitasked as she joined The Miami Acting Studio, had a part-time job as a brand ambassador, and took acting and parkour classes. By August of the same year, Yessenia began her training to compete in the bikini division for the National Physique Committee (NPC). Her hard work and commitment to the fitness industry were rewarding, but Yessenia still had the pervasive feeling that something was lacking.

Always one to take charge, Yessenia became a member of the Acting Table Meeting in Davie, FL, and research into the industry birthed a new interest in her, Stunts. In January 2014, her hard work, determination, and perseverance paid off, and Yessenia performed her first shootout stunt in a classy ballroom dress, getting shot and impacted by a squib. Her success in playing the character only opened doors to more possibilities of finally making her dreams a reality. She further cemented her role as a professional and received training in martial arts, wirework, parkour, and stunt driving, among others. She performed on the competitive TV

show Ultimate Tag as the character Dynamite. She later added the movie Dune, Queen

of the South, MacGyver, and Exalton Season 2 to her portfolio.

Today, Yessenia Cossio is a renowned actor, stuntwoman, and philanthropist. She is giving back to society and heavily donates and invests in different causes for cancer, epidermolysis bullosa, autism, homeless shelters, and others. In 2019, her selflessness and donations were awarded the Humanitarian Award from World Freerunning and Parkour Federation (WFPF).

Yessenia Cossio takes great pride in her profession and soon hopes to act for a Marvel, DC, or Disney movie while also doing her stunts. She wants to encourage others to leap of faith when pursuing their dreams.

To learn more about Yessenia Cossio-Alonso, you may visit this website.

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