The Kokoro Judo Club of 100 Mile House has two members who will represent British Columbia at the Canadian U15 U17 U20 Championships (Junior Nationals), July 1-3.
Ali Briggs and Stephanie Salzbrenner will travel to Sept-Iles, Quebec for the national competition.
Kokoro’s head coach (sensei) Ian Briggs notes the competitors must rank first or second in the province to make it to the Junior Nationals.
Coach Briggs adds four local club members could have qualified for the championships, but the cost is quite prohibitive for some, even with the subsidy Judo B.C. provides for top-ranking athletes.
Competing in her final year in the U20, under 52-kilogram category, Ali notes she is very happy to be going, and feels lucky her parents can manage the costs.
“The Junior Nationals is the goal of my year of training, and means the most to me. It’s exciting to be going to Quebec because I speak French and it’s my first time to go there.”
Stephanie is equally thrilled to be going to Quebec, and notes she will compete in the U17 under 52-kg category.
She’s both excited and nervous about the competition and the training camp that follows the event, Stephanie explains.
“I like the training camps because I feel a lot stronger when I come back.
“I’m really hoping to improve my judo a lot more, and I’m not expecting to [win a medal] or anything because it’s my first time, and that takes a while.”
Stephanie adds her goal is to earn a medal at the juniors next year.
The initial cost quote to fly direct to Sept-Iles was so expensive that the two competitors will travel the last stretch from Quebec City on a nine-hour bus trip.
Despite the fact both Ali and Stephanie have been to the Junior Nationals twice before, and weight train and practice several times a week, Ali adds humbly that this year there was not a lot of competition in her category.
“It’s just because I’m kind of a small size; I’m smaller than average. But some years the selection process is quite difficult, with a large number in the category.”
Ali explains she was also thrilled to have competed in the Canadian Judo Championships 2011 Senior; Kata; Grand Masters in Edmonton in mid-May, where she took fifth place.
“The competition at the seniors is a much higher level. There were Olympians there, there were national team members, and some people like that.”
The training camps and five or six tournaments she and Stephanie were required to attend are physically demanding in terms of weight training and endurance, and they take time and money to attend, Ali explains.
“The closest one I attended was Vancouver, to as far as Ontario, so it’s quite a bit of travel.”
While Stephanie says she worked in a greenhouse to earn her pocket money for the trip, she credits her instructors for helping her reach her judo goals.
“I’ve been really supported by my sensei, Ian Briggs, for my judo and to Bill Harris for my weight training. They’ve really been a big help.”
