When the sport of judo returned to its historic home of Japan for the 2010 world championships, a Canadian woman was on hand there to welcome competitors.
Kelita Zupancic, the 21-year-old fighter from Whitby, Ont., got the rare compliment of an invitation to spend several months training in Japan with the highly regarded Komatsu women's team.
It was more than an honour, she said in an interview. It was a call to duty to bring Canada into the inner circle of the sport.
"It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," said Zupancic, who is the front runner to represent Canadian women in the 70-kilogram class at the Olympics. "I was being paid to train with the best I couldn't say no." She said she would have gone for free.
Zupancic gave up hockey (she played at the Triple-A level until 13) to follow her judo calling. She spends every day she can in Canada, learning on the judo mat from national coach and two-time Olympic medalist Nicolas Gill. But she learned valuable lessons in style, technique and hard work from the sport's originators in Japan.
"The Japanese are very secretive in their ways of training and I got to go there and see what they do," she said. Zupancic said her skin became raw from the daily workouts under Japanese mentorship, four hours of tough combat and a running drill.
"Not that their way of training is best for me – my style is different from the Japanese style of judo. But they exposed me to what they do. It educated me. You can become Canadian champion ... then you train in Japan and find out how really hard they work," Zupancic said.
A determined woman, Zupancic is the daughter of a black-belt, businessman father, Eddie, and restaurateur mother, Annette, "who's always telling me I got my sports skill from my father but my drive from her. ... They both influenced my career. My mother opened one restaurant when I left home for the world championship. She'll open another when I make it to the Olympics."
She has three younger hockey-playing brothers, Anton, Ryan and Andrew, all six feet tall. Yet Kelita lays claim to the reputation of being the best fighter among the siblings.
"I'm a very determined girl," said the judoka.
She can wear the proof. Zupancic has won Pan American gold and World Cup medals and regularly earns a place in the top five world-class competitors at tournaments. When Zupancic gets to the London Olympics this summer, it will be the culmination of training on both sides of the Pacific and a lifelong ambition. Make that a lifelong obsession.
When she was in the first grade in Whitby, she made a drawing of herself in which she was on an Olympic podium.
"My whole life has been dedicated to this one moment. It means everything. I always dreamed of going to the Games. To be an Olympic athlete is an honour, a privilege. They're so respected. This is my dream. I have to do this. ...
"I drew the picture. Judo was the sport I enjoyed doing most as a little kid. I calculated when my first Games would be and, surely enough, 2012 was the Games to be at. And I'm here."
Komatsu is one of Japan's top makers of construction equipment and working with its women's team gave Zupancic "some insight into what players on top of the world are doing," she said.
Zupancic trained in Canada under her father, a fourth-degree black belt, national coach Gill, who had won Olympic medals – "he's so inspiring" – and Montreal-based Hiroshi Nakamura, one of Canada's senior senseis in the sport. But what made Japan superior?
Nakamura's connections helped bring her to the attention of Komatsu leaders. She spent three weeks with them in Japan, early in 2010, then won a series of medals in world-class events in Europe to earn an invitation to camp. Kazuhiko Tokuno is the national female coach based at Komatsu and national coach Yoshiyuki Matsuoka coaches the company's private club team.
"Komatsu invites one foreigner per year to be a part of their team. I was lucky enough to be chosen but it did not come as easy as just luck. It was hard work to prove myself during those first three weeks in Japan – and to get the results to top it off," she said in an e-mail message. Komatsu judokas got some benefit from the exchange, too, working against the Canadian's style, she said.
The mutual learning experience was worthwhile – but easy compared to the challenges of the pre-Olympic year, she said. Working under Japanese leadership can be tougher than working with Canadians.
"Japan is where judo was born. They've known performance and the top level from the beginning," Gill said of Zupancic's invitation to train in Japan with Komatsu.
"To have one of the strongest teams come and pick from Canada ... it shows she has potential. They didn't just pick her randomly."
Zupancic says that the advantage of having Gill is that he knows it's possible for Canadians to win Olympic medals. Gill went to France, both to become a pro and for the country's savvy. There are about a million French judokas, Zupancic says. "His [Gill's]expertise helped me a lot, knowing how hard you have to work," she said.
France's multiple world champion Lucie Decosse and the Netherlands' Edith Bosch are favoured for the Olympic final in Zupancic's division. In France there's huge participation in judo. In the Netherlands and throughout Europe, there's quick access to high-calibre international competition. Japan, rated third in the world, has historic ties to the sport and a large judo population that pushes for quality performances. Yoriko Kunihara (third at 2011 Paris worlds) and Haruka Tachimoto are early front runners for the Olympic bronze.
In Canada, judo has trouble being noticed, but that won't stop Zupancic from fighting her way up the ladder.
The most valuable thing she's learned, Zupancic says, is mental approach. "Your opponent will try to throw you, choke you or pin you. You're trying to do the same to them. It's as much mental as it is physical. In a big tournament, you can crack up under the pressure, but if you're strong and believe in yourself and your techniques ... that's what it takes."
A LETTER FROM JAPAN: KELITA ZUPANCIC, 21, SPENT TIME TRAINING IN JAPAN IN 2010 FOR HER FIRST WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP. IN THIS LETTER, SHE DESCRIBES HER PREPARATIONS AND EARLY DAYS IN THE SPORT.
I have already been preparing in Japan for six weeks prior to the World Championships, which I think already gives me an advantage. During this time, I (have been) training with the Komatsu team as well as going through the All-Japan training camp as preparation for the World team members. It will be my first time competing at the World Championship and with the support from my Canadian team as well as my Komatsu teammates I think it can only be an advantage. Komatsu has a great team of supporters that I know will be cheering for me in the crowd. In a way, I guess I am now one of the home town favourites here. At the end of the day you can only fight from yourself. It is only you out there on that mat – but it sure helps knowing you have a great team of supporters cheering for you! Komatsu is known for their World class athletes and Olympic gold medalists. For the past few years, they have been ranked the number one women's team in Japan. The Komatsu team has nine girls and now me as the 10th member. Two of the players are in the same -70kg weight class as me and are ranked in the top ten in the World. I believe that I can only benefit by training with this calibre of players and learning from Olympic gold medalists themselves as my coaches.
One of my coaches in Montreal, Sensei Hiroshi Nakamura, thought it would be a good idea for me to spend some time in Japan; possibly bring my judo to the next level and learn a different style of judo. His connections with the Komatsu team allowed to me stay there with them. The Japanese women's team is one of the strongest teams in the World...
After spending 3 weeks in Japan in January I went to Europe for the month of February for the top world competitions and training camps. During this time, in two out of the three competitions I was on the podium with the other Komatsu team members. Soon after I came home from Europe, I had a call from the head Komatsu coach asking me to be a part of their team on a one year contract. It was an offer I couldn't resist. Training in Japan has always been one of my dreams.
My father (Eddie Zupancic) is a fourth degree black belt in judo. It is easy to say that his love for the sport has rubbed off on me. I think when it comes to any sport, family is always the most important. From the fundamentals of judo to the hard work and dedication is takes to make it to the top, he's taught me it all. With three younger brothers, we were always very competitive and combative. But my mother always says I get the drive from her. She's played just as an important part in this journey as my father. Any athlete can tell you that in the world of sports, it's a roller coaster ride and the right support system is key to success.
During high school I trained at my dojo in Oshawa, Formokan Judo Club, under Charlie Formosa, Olympian Craig Weldon and Mohamad Hassani. I also trained at in Ajax at the Budokan under Olympian Kevin Doherty. I received my black belt soon after turning 16 and winning the junior national title. Currently, I am a second degree black belt. Being on the junior national team I was coached by Jean-Pierre Cantin. After I graduated high school, I moved to Montreal to train under national head coach and two- time Olympic medalist Nicolas Gill, Hiroshi Nakamura, Sergio Pessoa and Marie-Helene Chisholm.
Judo is very strong internationally for women. It may not be one of the most popular sports in Canada, but in Europe and Asia women's judo is very well developed. Competing at the World Class level, it is very rare to find an easy fight. During practice, I train with both women and men. I think it's good to have a mixture of strengths because both have different fighting styles. Every person offers something different and the more body types you get used to, the better fighter you will become.