Sunday, October 24, 2010
Thursday, October 14, 2010
One Year On
Today marks one year from the lowest point in my athletic career. One year ago I was lying on a surgeon’s table. I did not know if the reconstruction of my elbow would allow me to eat with a knife and fork again, let alone compete and chase my Olympic Dream.
Everything seemed to have gone wrong. On top of the surgery I was dealing with:
• unsuccessfully balancing coaching a club and training myself,
• losing contact with my coach,
• a form slump that had seen me drop from my National #1 ranking (which I had held for over 2 years straight),
• missing selection for the World Championship, and
• missing my university exams due to injury.
As if this wasn’t enough, then the IJF announced it was changing the rules of Judo from 2010, banning pretty much every technique I did well.
To be honest, I nearly gave up at this point.
I had trained for 17 years in a certain style of Judo. All I could do was wonder how the hell was I going to recover and essentially learn judo from scratch in time for the Olympic Qualification process, which was only seven months away.
A conversation with 3-time Olympian Daniel Kelly brought me round. He just flat out appealed to the ‘meathead’ in me. He said “what, are you going to give up? Is that who you are?” I decided that when I quit my sport, it would be on my terms, not on a hospital bed and not in a referee’s meeting.
I have been on the grind ever since. I decided that every rehab exercise I was given I would double and every target I was set I would beat. As a result, I was able to compete13 weeks after the operation (not 24 like the docs wanted, but shhhh).
Things have definitely improved for me. I am now #1 in Australia again, #1 in Oceania and World #29. I am well and truly on track for London 2012.
Every day I reflect back and remember how low I was. It motivates me to run an extra mile, lift an extra rep and fight an extra round; and I wonder if I would have this work ethic if I hadn’t gone through what I did.
Ivo
‘Problems are opportunities in disguise.’
Henry J. Kaizer
Everything seemed to have gone wrong. On top of the surgery I was dealing with:
• unsuccessfully balancing coaching a club and training myself,
• losing contact with my coach,
• a form slump that had seen me drop from my National #1 ranking (which I had held for over 2 years straight),
• missing selection for the World Championship, and
• missing my university exams due to injury.
As if this wasn’t enough, then the IJF announced it was changing the rules of Judo from 2010, banning pretty much every technique I did well.
To be honest, I nearly gave up at this point.
I had trained for 17 years in a certain style of Judo. All I could do was wonder how the hell was I going to recover and essentially learn judo from scratch in time for the Olympic Qualification process, which was only seven months away.
A conversation with 3-time Olympian Daniel Kelly brought me round. He just flat out appealed to the ‘meathead’ in me. He said “what, are you going to give up? Is that who you are?” I decided that when I quit my sport, it would be on my terms, not on a hospital bed and not in a referee’s meeting.
I have been on the grind ever since. I decided that every rehab exercise I was given I would double and every target I was set I would beat. As a result, I was able to compete13 weeks after the operation (not 24 like the docs wanted, but shhhh).
Things have definitely improved for me. I am now #1 in Australia again, #1 in Oceania and World #29. I am well and truly on track for London 2012.
Every day I reflect back and remember how low I was. It motivates me to run an extra mile, lift an extra rep and fight an extra round; and I wonder if I would have this work ethic if I hadn’t gone through what I did.
Ivo
‘Problems are opportunities in disguise.’
Henry J. Kaizer
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Unbelievable
most of what i post is related to my training and/or competing but i thought i had to post this. this guy is unbelievable and makes the impossible look easy. he must train like a madman!
Saturday, October 2, 2010
NSW OPEN 2010 66 kg SEMI FINAL
This is my semi final at NSW Open this year, look out for the newaza at the end
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