Pride of Placements
After a late night entering the village by bus, being accredited and finally getting to their new rooms, there is no doubt that the following morning orientation session came too early for the young Canadian Judo team here in Glasgow.
Questions at the orientation session showed the group’s eagerness. Discussions included the other sports on the programme in Glasgow, how to interact on social media, and details about to opening ceremonies the next day; an honour for any athlete. The ceremonies provide an athlete with the opportunity to soak in the cultural experience a little, reflect on this huge milestone in the athletic career and then turn their attention right back to the performance job at hand.
Chosen based on International rankings, for Glasgow 2014 the 11 member team will be the third Canadian team ever to compete at the Commonwealth Games for Judo, after Auckland (1990) and Manchester (2002). The team has been described by Judo Canada as having tremendous potential and will create some surprises as they face the best judokas within the Commonwealth. When asked, the athletes describe that their passion for competing stems from their supportive yet competitive family dynamic.
Ana Laura Portuondo Isasi comes from a family who grew in the sport together.
“My youngest sister competes in judo on the provincial team,” says Portuondo Isasi, who entered her first competition at nine-years-old. “I love the adrenaline, knowing that I can challenge myself and the desire to become a champion.”
Current 100KG National Champion Martin Rygielski was fed by the competitive need to beat his brother.
“Competing allows me to prove to myself that hard-work and dedication can lead to greater things,” says the Ajax Budokan Judo Club member. “My brother has had the most influence on my career, because for as long as I can remember he has been beating me up in judo and I have been striving to surpass him.”
Jessica Klimkait who is one of the youngest of the group and joins team-member Louis Krieber-Gagnon as the first Canadian judokas to hold the title of Cadet World Champions (2013), talks of her dad`s influence in building her passion.
“My dad did judo when he was younger, so he decided to put me in it as well,” says Klimkait. “It is so much fun for me because I get to prove to myself that all my hard work pays off.”
As the competition nears closer, with the first competition day being July 24th, there is no doubt that while going for their goals, the close-knit team will be thinking about the support system back home cheering them on and so proud of their accomplishments. The judo competition in Glasgow will go until July 26th.
