After spending 15 years knocking down her opponents on the tatami mats, judoka Ecaterina Guica puts away her kimono at the age of 28.
The Laprairienne says she is very serene with her decision that she has been simmering for several years.
“I’m sure I’m going to miss doing judo and doing tournaments with my teammates, she admits. It was really a big part of my life, but I see it as a way to have more time for me.
Looking back on her last year, Ecaterina Guica says she enjoyed her participation in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. However, she says she is disappointed not to have had a good result.
“I found it difficult not to have had optimal preparation for the Games due to irregular training during the pandemic,” she laments, although she admits having had a great experience.
Her Masters in Sports Psychology now takes up most of her time. Moreover, she will collaborate with Judo Canada for her research project. The latter aims to determine the factors of long-term perseverance. His hypothesis is that people who own more gritas she calls it, a mix of resilience and passion, will be more conducive to continuing the sport despite the pitfalls.
“It’s not necessarily always the people who have the best physical abilities and the best results that last,” she says.
busy career
Ecaterina Guica is proud of what she has accomplished. His presence at the Olympic Games, twice, was one of the best moments of his career.
Then, her victory at the Pan American Judo Championships in Mexico in Guadalajara in 2020 took the weight off her shoulders, she says, after coming close to reaching first place on many occasions.
“I often won bronze and silver, but I couldn’t win gold, explains the judoka. It was a great moment, because I had wanted to win a competition for a long time.
If her career has been crowned with several moments of happiness, it has also been punctuated by difficult moments which have led Ecaterina Guica to reflect.
“In 2021, I broke my hand before the Worlds, but I really wanted to participate, she underlines. I tried to find the strength I needed to heal this injury and succeed in being part of the event.
Asked whether she would have done things differently during her career, the Laprairienne indicates that she could have made her preparation more optimal.
“I would have tried to be a little smarter about how to lose weight for my fights, believes the one who thinks she could have thought outside the box. I could have tried to train differently.”
Nonetheless, she says she gave 100% every time.
“I had a lot of injuries, but I was still ready to make the sacrifices to be present,” she concludes.
Regarding her plans, she will continue to collaborate with Judo Canada for her research project, but will also give conferences in schools to share her experience and tell her career.
Roadmap
-Two bronze medals and one silver medal during seven Senior Worlds;
-Three bronze medals, one silver and one gold in five Pan American Judo Championships;
-A silver medal at the Pan American Games;
-Three appearances at the Junior Worlds;
-Two participations in the Olympic Games;
-A participation in the Youth Olympic Games;
-Two participations in the Quebec Games.
To read : A judoka from La Prairie prepares for Tokyo
