▁lif ting ▁ 1 0 0   p ounds . ▁She ▁also ▁trained ▁as ▁a ▁g ymn ast . ▁ ▁After ▁she ▁graduated ▁from ▁Forest ▁Lake ▁Area ▁High ▁School ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 6 , ▁N ora ▁left ▁home ▁with ▁$ 2 0 0 ▁and ▁a ▁' 6 5 ▁Old sm obile , ▁which ▁she ▁drove ▁from ▁Minnesota ▁to ▁Florida , ▁worked ▁at ▁a ▁Sub way ▁restaurant ▁and ▁as ▁a ▁te lem ark eter , ▁and ▁out ▁of ▁curiosity ▁tried ▁out ▁for ▁wrest ling . ▁ ▁Professional ▁wrest ling ▁career ▁ ▁Early ▁career ▁( 1 9 9 7 – 1 9 9 9 ) ▁ ▁Green wald ▁began ▁training ▁as ▁a ▁wrest ler ▁under ▁Dean ▁Mal en ko ▁in ▁T ampa , ▁Florida ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 7 . ▁She ▁deb uted ▁on ▁August ▁ 2 , ▁ 1 9 9 7 ▁in ▁the ▁World ▁Professional ▁Wrestling ▁Federation ▁( WP WF ) ▁under ▁the ▁ring ▁name ▁Star la ▁Sa xt on . ▁Green wald ▁wrest led ▁on ▁the ▁independent ▁circuit ▁throughout ▁ 1 9 9 7 ▁and ▁ 1 9 9 8 , ▁winning ▁two ▁champion ships . ▁On ▁August ▁ 2 1 , ▁ 1 9 9 8 ▁she ▁defeated ▁Mal ia ▁H os aka ▁to ▁win ▁the ▁New ▁Dim ension ▁Wrestling ▁Women ' s ▁Title , ▁but ▁lost ▁it ▁one ▁day ▁later ▁back ▁to ▁H os aka . ▁She ▁appeared ▁with ▁both ▁World ▁Championship ▁Wrestling ▁and ▁the ▁World ▁Wrestling ▁Federation ▁as ▁Star la ▁Sa xt on , ▁un success