Tucson chef Martha LaMadrid didn’t plan to compete in Tucson Knife Fight this year, but after stepping in as a last-minute replacement, she became the first woman to win, and a rising force in the city’s culinary scene.

Tucson Knife Fight bills itself as a cooking competition for chefs, by chefs, and is designed to challenge and develop the city’s culinary community. Competitors go head-to-head in timed battles over the course of several rounds.

“I actually didn't enter at first, I just made a comment (at a Tucson City of Gastronomy dinner to Tucson Knife Fight members) that there's always males,” LaMadrid told Tucson Spotlight. “I was like, ‘What happened to any females joining?’”

But after a competing chef dropped out on the first night of the competition in August, Tucson Knife Fight organizers asked LaMadrid to fill his place.

“I was just thinking I was going to go that night and be done, but I kept going and going and going,” she said. “After my third knife fight I realized I'm getting this far, I need to win this.”

As the competition intensified, so did the atmosphere. Venues like Playground Rooftop Bar and Lounge and Union Public House can get rowdy once chefs start cooking in front of a live audience.

“Before the battles I sharpen all my knives,” LaMadrid said. “During the competition I put my headphones on. It calms my anxiety if I don't hear what's going on around me.”

Even as she advanced through rounds, LaMadrid balanced the pressure of competition with the demands of her day job.

“I was confident but at the same time I wanted it to be over because working at the sorority during chapter night, I felt a lot of pressure,” she said.

After eight battles, LaMadrid ultimately became the Season 8 champion, securing her place as a notable figure in Southern Arizona’s culinary scene.

She credits her ability to participate in events like Knife Fight to her family and her job as house chef at the University of Arizona’s chapter of Alpha Epsilon Phi. While the hours are long, she said they’re flexible enough to pursue opportunities outside the sorority kitchen while still focusing on her children.

“Luckily I have a job where I have a lot of leeway and I have a very understanding husband,” she said. “I try to cook a variety of foods for my kids, I don't want them to grow up being picky, I want them to know what food is and to appreciate food culture.”

Through her work at the sorority, she said she’s found a second family.

“It’s fun, it's different compared to an actual kitchen at a restaurant,” she said. “I feel like a big sister. They know they can talk to me and open up to me, which is nice because I know that they are away from home. I try to give them the food that they want so that they can feel comfortable.”

Her extended culinary community also includes her fellow members of Tucson City of Gastronomy, a UNESCO-backed group that supports creative food cultures in Southern Arizona.

“It's a big family,” LaMadrid said. “We hold each other down when we need help.”

LaMadrid said she has grown tremendously since starting her culinary career and graduating in 2014 from the Art Institute of Tucson.

“When I first started, I hated (this) career because my parents chose it,” she said. “It wasn't the path I was looking for, but I slowly grew.”

Her days often stretch from early morning to late night, cooking breakfast, lunch and dinner for Alpha Epsilon Phi before heading off to competitions.

She warns others that the culinary world is not for the faint of heart.

“If you're ever thinking of going into the culinary industry, think about it twice,” she said. “It does take over your life. If you watch the show ‘The Bear,’ it’s almost reality.”

In addition to her work at the sorority and participating in cooking competitions, LaMadrid runs her own catering business, LaMadrid Catering, offering event services and meal prep.

That side of her career keeps her constantly moving, but she said the work feels meaningful in a way that makes the pace worth it.

“We live in a kitchen before we live at home,” she said.

Macy Hernandez is a journalism and business administration major at the University of Arizona and Tucson Spotlight intern. Contact her at macyhernandez@arizona.edu.

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