Fighting for Love and Gender Equality: The Inspiring Story of María Martínez, Judo Coach and Advocate

For love, he crossed the pond and settled in Peru. For this feeling, he fights from the Judo Federation to promote this sport and with an extremely important detail: combat gender violence. María Martínez, is Spanish, nationalized Peruvian, she has her life dedicated to her family and her other passion. She is married to Carlos Zegarra, a medalist at the Pan American Games and present at the Olympic Games defending the national team. She stands up and defends the fight of elite athletes, but she also sends a message to society.

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Maria, how did you decide to live in our land?

I am a judo coach and I met Carlos Zagarra, who came to Spain to prepare to participate in the Olympics.

Then the love between you was born?

Our relationship changed and I came to Peru. I had been offered to work with the Federation before, but the idea seemed crazy to me, but everything was different when I fell in love.

There are phrases made: ‘To achieve success, you must have a lot of sacrifice’ and you can comment because you have directed and are married to an elite athlete

I’ll give you an example: When my second daughter was going to be born, Carlos had traveled.

Because?

She had to get ready and the doctors told me to get a divorce and I made it clear that I had asked her to continue her training outside the country and achieve her dream.

Is it that hard?

You love the sport, the competition, the feeling of winning, but training is horrible.

develop the idea please

You have to push your body to the limit of what it can. We are talking about a top athlete.

That must be hard, even cruel

You love the adrenaline of competing, of getting on the podium, and that’s why you’re willing to do what you have to do to get to that moment.

Other?

In a training session you receive thousands of blows and then your whole body aches.

Is the day off not so free?

You have to rest to recover your body.

Food?

You don’t eat what you want, but what you should.

Arriving at the retreat should be an act of relaxation

They feel that they are missing something. When you’re in practice, you feel like you’re a ‘Weird’ compared to everyone else, but you’re in your bubble. You withdraw and you still feel the same, but you don’t fit in with the others.

And how did you do?

I was a judoka for my country’s national team and then a coach. That made me prolong my career.

Another mental problem that is charged in retirement?

Thinking that you will never get on a podium again causes depression.

And speaking of common phrases, I think that the one that says: “Sport is health” is no longer very true.

It is, but when the practice is moderate, in a recreational way.

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Let’s talk about the Federation you preside over

The first thing was to restructure the national team, but there are more things. You had to work with seeing the issue of referees, provincial clubs, training coaches.

Is it remunerable?

You are an honor.

Within everything you have been doing, what do you enjoy the most how I achieve?

We devised a system in which children do not experience all the trauma of a high-level athlete. So, everyone gets the medal. That is one of the great successes of management.

everyone ends up happy

At this stage, at that age, it is not important who is the best, but that they have fun. The clubs understood it.

Out of love for her husband, she married and judo, she became a Peruvian national (Photo: Allengino Quintana)

And how will the selected ones emerge?

That later, by their own decision, they are high-performance athletes. It is the technicians who make the little one like judo and practice it for a lifetime.

Have you had to use your technique against a thief in the street?

Lucky I never had a chance to fight.

I tell you why women, in our country, are almost always exposed

I have worked a lot with gender violence.

explain us the idea

A bully attacks someone who is not sure of herself. He is a coward and has to be safe who does it.

that’s great reasoning

They look for someone they can easily subdue, who will not defend themselves.

Have you educated women to do it?

I have taught and seen great changes.

Did you feel safer?

They told me: ‘I didn’t know what I could defend myself’.

With whom have you worked on this topic?

Universities, with various NGOs, schools.

How can they reach you?

By the Federation page.

Give me a phrase for life that starts from Judo

There is nothing that makes you lose more fights than the fear of losing.

Greetings and thanks for passing on this knowledge.

A big hug to all.

2023-07-14 19:12:46
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