Sarah Adlington is a two-time Commonwealth champion, eight-time British heavyweight champion and former Olympian in judo. She sat down with James Reinhardt to discuss her judo journey, making it to an Olympics and much more.
How did you get into judo?
My brother was having a difficult time at school, and my dad wanted to help him build confidence, so he got him into judo. For about two years, I sat on the side, desperate to start. You weren’t allowed to train until you were five, but they let me on the mat the day before my fifth birthday because I couldn’t wait another week.
What is it about judo that’s so demanding?
You need a bit of everything. It’s like a physical game of chess. I’ve been doing judo for nearly 35 years, and I still don’t know everything. That’s why I’m still able to keep going—you can always get better.
When did you start taking judo seriously as a profession?
I remember watching the Sydney Olympics on TV and seeing Team GB in their tracksuits and thinking how cool that was. My mum said, “If you put your mind to something, you could get one of those.” That stuck with me.
Can you make a living as a professional judoka?
It’s difficult. At certain points in my career, I was on UK Sport lottery funding, which helped. At one point, I turned down significant funding because it required moving to Walsall. I believed my training environment in Edinburgh was better for me. In Scotland, the talent pool is smaller. If you’re one of the best juniors in Scotland, an English competitor might already be training at a higher level simply because there are more players. To gain that experience, Scottish athletes have to travel constantly, which is expensive.
When is it like qualifying for the Olympics?
In 2008, I finished fifth at the Senior European Championships. There was talk of sending me to Beijing for experience ahead of London, but that didn’t happen. In London, only one athlete per country could go, and I was ranked behind another athlete. Missing both Beijing and London was incredibly tough.
I missed qualification for Rio by one place. Then, during the first week of the Rio Olympics, my dad passed away. The day after, my best mate won a bronze medal in judo. It was surreal. That experience made me realise judo isn’t life. It put everything into perspective. From that point on, the Olympics didn’t mean everything anymore.
At the start of 2020 I tore my hamstring badly, then Covid hit and the Olympics were postponed. But having something to train for during lockdown gave me purpose, and I made it to Tokyo, and performed to the best of my ability. I didn’t freeze on the biggest stage. I fought the number nine in the world and was unlucky, but I gave everything. I’m content with that.
How do you feel looking ahead to the Commonwealth Games?
I never felt ready to stop. Competing in Glasgow, potentially winning a third Commonwealth gold, would be incredible. Right now, I’m focused on qualification. If I didn’t believe I could do well, I wouldn’t be doing it.
Image courtesy of Sarah Adlington