Growing up in the rugged wrestling territory of Grundy, Virginia, Dr. Talena Williams, née Cox, wrestled with the boys, a novelty in the 1980s. She also enjoyed champion success, which was an even rarer novelty.

Coached by her uncle Dale Cox and having her brother Mike Cox be a two-time state champion gave Williams substantial "street cred" in youth wrestling. She even defeated future four-time state champion Shane Bowman during her career.

Williams drive and ambition helped her achieve impressive credentials in education, which she parlayed into various innovations and enterprises that helped wrestling and other sports. Williams earned a bachelor's degree from Emory and Henry, a master's degree from Virginia Tech, a physician's assistant degree from James Madison University, and a doctorate in medical science from Lynchburg University.

Beginning in 1997, Williams was a pioneering Athletic Trainer Certified at William Byrd High School in Roanoke County, Virginia. Despite several detours, she has remained a loyal presence in wrestling, returning every year from a residence in Colorado Springs to supervise and serve the Virginia High School League divisions 1, 2 and 3 state tournaments and Grundy's respected Agie Skeens Memorial Tournament.

From William Byrd she entered the private sector and began the successful On-Site Sports Medicine, which she later sold to a hospital.

Her physician's assistant certification made her a natural choice as a leader for a weight management program for wrestling and a concussion protocol for all sports. She later was one of four directors in the medical division for Team USA at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which were hampered by COVID. By this time Williams was a practice manager and vice president of the Steadman Clinic in Colorado Springs, yet she still returns like a migrating bird each year to her Virginia mountains at wrestling tournament time.

Wrestling is still Williams main sport, and she keeps it in the family as husband Adam is a coach and son Tyson has roamed the mats just like his parents.