Gina Marie Rivera

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Gina Marie Rivera is a professional and published author, certified self defense instructor, speaker, advocate for women and children and a retired correctional officer. As the author of Fight Back: Safety and Self-Defense Tips, Bee Safe, Little Black Book and Taking Our Defense In Our Own Hands, Rivera brings a lifetime of honest and candid traumatic events to all of her writing, and puts readers on the path to turning negatives into positives.
With a mission to empower, inspire and motivate others to lift themselves out of danger, abuse and neglect, Gina has built a reputation as an author who’s not afraid to be honest about the horrible experiences that have shaped her life. After being sexually abused as a child, and being put into numerous life or death scenarios as a correctional officer in an all-male prison, few can live up to breadth of Gina’s experience, and her passion for overcoming every obstacle with grace, humility and an unshakeable drive for survival and justice. Sticking mainly to her wits and learning to fight with anything available, including her hands, voice, and sheer adrenaline, Gina is an expert in unusual but highly effective and deadly self-defense techniques and is largely a student of her own experiences.
Gina was born in Riverside, California and grew up in Imperial Valley. She graduated from the Brawley Union High School in 1988, and later the Richard A. McGee Correctional Training Center in 1999. Raised by her caring mother and grandmother who did their best to protect her, Gina was nevertheless exposed to the nightmares of sexual abuse at the age of 11. But even at that age, she was resolved to fight back.
Fast forward to 2008, and Gina once again experiences a life-threatening encounter, yet this time her life flashes before her eyes. After mastering various self-defense techniques through the years, and creating many of her own, Gina decides at this point that she can be the most help to others by putting words to paper and distributing her work by publishing her books.
Today, Gina enjoys writing and speaking on topics related to self-defense for all audiences, including children, and she has been picked up by a major publisher. She is currently writing two more books.
When she isn’t writing, Gina enjoys spending time at the beach, reading, writing, baking, gardening and meditating. As an advocate for spreading literacy, Gina gladly donates her books to individuals and organizations who cannot otherwise afford them.

Book Signing and Safety & Self Defense Demo for The Center in San Diego, CA April 22, 2014.