This post is long over due. I’ve been meaning to post this the past couple days now but been kind of busy. This is about my experience in London at the
Paralympic games. I was not expected to medal at the games. However, as my coach Scott Moore has told me before I have a funny way of doing things I’m not supposed to be doing. I had so much support going into London it was almost overwhelming. The months leading up to the games were exciting, difficult and frustrating at the same time. By the time we had gotten to London I was nearly sick of judo and was just ready to fight already.
The first day of competition had my adrenaline off the charts and I wasn’t even fighting yet. It was the energy of all the other competitors, especially the crowd. Seats were sold out I’ve never experienced anything like it in my life. My day of competition comes and I am more than ready.
On my way to my first match, which was against France, I had no idea how it would turn out but win, loose, or draw I was going to give it everything I had. Once I stepped on the mat, as far as I was concerned it was just me and the French man in the whole arena. “HAJIME!” The ref yelled, and we went at each other like titans. Neither one of us giving up anything. The match went on and on, Scott was on edge screaming his head off my body felt like it was breaking down. We go in to golden score and I’m down by a shido. Before the ref yells Hajime, I tell myself “You will not die here!” “FIGHT!” “HAJIME!” Again we go at it like titans, this time I score! I scored a yuko off of O-Uchi. Its over, I’ve finally won- WRONG! Refs decide otherwise. They talk amongst themselves in their little referee huddle. Its decided the score was taken away. The match was not over I was still on this freaking mat. This match was going on longer than the sum of all of my other matches in the past. We are back at the center of the mat. “HAJIME!” I was determined to make this the last Hajime I hear of this match. I attack with everything I have left. I score again yuko with another O-uchi, but this time its not taken away. FANILLY, this match is over. The ref announces me the winner I snap back into reality and the crowd is going crazy. I come off the mat and I hug Scott and he’s basically carrying me back to the warm-up area. Ed Liddie another one of my coaches meets us there. He tells me that this is it. IT can be done, I can take home one of two medals a sympathy medal or an actual medal. My mind was made up I wanted to leave with some hard wear. Scott and Ed and all of my team mates believed in me and that’s all I needed…
First post and wont be the last.