Enzo Jean, a passionate judoka, won fifth place at the junior European championships and two victories in senior international competitions. A judo professional, he lives from his passion, a rare privilege in France. The Olympic Games are his childhood dream, symbolizing sporting excellence. The CDOS Gironde supports him and has no doubt that his energy and rigor will lead him towards his objectives!
When did you start judo and where? How did you come to practice this discipline?
I started judo in Bourg sur Gironde at 4 years old. It was my father who introduced me to judo because he had done a little bit of it himself and he had practiced several combat sports such as boxing. He found that, for a child, judo was one of the most complete sports and it was a sport where you could start early, which was good because I was a fairly hyperactive child. He also liked the moral code side and the values of judo.
Where are you today in your journey? What are your latest titles?
Today I am a young senior, I was in junior about two years ago.
Regarding my last titles, I finished fifth at the European Junior Championships and I won a European Junior Cup. Recently, I won two senior international competitions.
I am now going to do Grand Slams, these are competitions at the highest senior world level.
What do you love most about your sport?
I like two things about judo. The first thing is fighting, I love judo for that. The second thing is this quest to want to progress and be better than others.
What is your fondest memory in this sport?
For the moment, the best memory of my career is when I won the European Cup in Paris as a junior in 2022 because it was at home and it was in front of my family. It allowed me to qualify for the European Championships and the Junior World Championships and to enter INSEP. It was really a very important result in my career!
Were you inspired by an athlete?
I was inspired by many athletes, notably Teddy Riner. When I was little I liked Mike Tyson, John Jones, Conor McGregor… but I was especially inspired by Ilías Iliádis, he is a Greek judoka who is Olympic champion in -90kg. When I was little there wasn’t yet Instagram, the real ones… and he was already starting to make videos on YouTube of his training and competitions, and that’s what made me want to perform at a high level.
Are you a professional athlete or do you have a side activity?
Today I am lucky enough to be able to make a living from my sport, I don’t earn a lot of money yet but I earn enough to pay my rent and live. It’s fortunate because there aren’t many judokas in France who can make a living from their passion.
Since when have the Olympics been a goal? What does this mean to you?
The Olympic Games have been a goal since I was little because I watched judo on TV with Ilías Iliádis, and I always dreamed of making the Olympics.
For me the Olympic Games have a very traditional and historical side. The fact that it happens every 4 years adds value. I think it’s the most beautiful competition in the world, any sport combined.
What does your typical day look like? What is your schedule like in the run-up to these Olympics?
My day starts with a judo combat training of 2 hours to 3 hours, then I eat at INSEP then I take a nap, I have a second training in the afternoon and it’s either technique or a physical training. At the end of the day I do balneotherapy to recover. This day I repeat from Monday to Saturday.
Do you have any advice, a little word to pass on to those who would one day like to follow your example and participate in the Olympics?
The advice I would give is to always believe in your dreams, to let anyone put obstacles in our way or tell us that it’s not possible or want to slow us down. To succeed you have to really listen to yourself and be really determined. If you are really determined, shake things up and train really hard, you will always be able to reach the maximum of your abilities. That is to say that there are people who are built to be Olympic champions and other European championship medalists, etc. but whatever happens, if you believe in yourself and train hard, you will always be able to reach the maximum of your abilities!
2024-04-19 21:12:44
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