Norissa Valdez

Valdez developed through several sports, including soccer, basketball, gymnastics, cross country, and track and field, before concentrating on running. She joined the Los Alamos High School varsity cross country team as an eighth-grader in 2017 and finished eighth at the New Mexico State Cross Country Championship that year.

She won the New Mexico 4A State Cross Country Championship in 2019 and 2020, becoming a two-time state champion. She also earned All-State honors in cross country and track for five consecutive years and later competed at the Division I level.

Her Athletic.net record includes personal bests of 2:22.39 in the 800 meters, 5:27.42 in the 1,600 meters, 28.28 in the 200 meters, 1:02.88 in the 400 meters, and 9 feet 6.25 inches in the pole vault. Her 2022 Los Alamos High School teams also recorded 4x400 and 4x800 relay performances at the New Mexico 4A State Championships.

Valdez's interest in storytelling began in childhood, when she filmed scenes with her older brother Brennan. That early creative work contributed to her interest in performances built around empathy, emotional truth, and purpose.

She trained at The Barrow Group Performing Arts Center and HB Studio in New York City, including a one-year acting and modeling course at The Barrow Group in 2023. She has continued developing her craft through method acting and has shown interest in roles requiring physical intensity, agility, and emotional depth.

Her listed screen work includes an appearance as herself on the podcast series Running New Mexico in 2020. Her acting demo materials include scenes titled Fight Through Pain, For the Mission, and Emotional Breakdown Scene.

Valdez is known for short-form entertainment featuring dance skits, lip-syncing, comedy, lifestyle advice, fashion, fitness, and modeling content. She has built audiences across TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, and Telegram.

She previously built a TikTok following of more than 1.8 million. Her content creation has become closely connected to her on-camera work, with recurring themes of strength, authenticity, fitness, and creative purpose.

Valdez volunteered at Cottonwood Veterinary Clinic, where she provided physical and emotional comfort to animals and assisted with surgical procedures. Her interest in veterinary medicine was also reflected in her high-school goal of becoming a veterinarian.

She has participated in charitable activities through Holy Cross Catholic Church, including work connected with Put a Smile on a Child's Face, Santa Cruz Fiestas, and Vacation Bible School.