Young Hamilton judoka grapples his way to the top
A young, aspiring athlete is preparing for the biggest fight of his career.
When sitting down with Matthew Free, first impressions are: driven, sporty, mature
And that is exactly what he is. Matthew is a 16-year-old, blue belt Judoka, for Metro Judo Club in Hamilton.
Matthew’s passion for judo started when he was just nine after his father Rick, enrolled him in classes due to Matthew’s lack of discipline in school, which has ultimately paved the path to his successes today.
Thanks to his sensei Terry, Matthew began competing shortly after beginning classes.
His accomplishments are astonishing, from winning 63 medals in New Zealand based competitions, to making it onto the podium in Sydney and Brisbane.
Matthew has also recently been selected to join the New Zealand team to compete in Hong Kong and Macau in the coming months.
When asked about who influenced him to compete, his answer is Ronda Rousey. Watching her bronze medal fight in the 2008 Olympics is something Matthew’s younger self was truly fascinated by, sparking a desire to follow in her footsteps.
Obviously, Terry is very much due credit for Matthew’s achievements, as without him Matthew would not have the opportunities he does now.
At only 16-years-old, balancing school, working part-time and training proves a challenging juggling act.
“It’s a bit difficult sometimes. Judo is my passion, and in the dojo is where I’d rather be over anything”.
But at the end of the day, his ultimate goal is to compete in judo as a career. This will be a true test of perseverance.
Now that Matthew has been selected to join the New Zealand team in travelling to Hong Kong and Macau to compete, this is a massive leap for his judo career, but it wasn’t easy for him to reach this point.
“I had to have three podium finishes in an IJF (International Judo Federation), international and New Zealand based tournament, so one national, one international and one regional. They were only looking at gold and silver medalists.”
However, his dedication and hard work shows, and he’s about to delve into one of the biggest competitions of his life.
“Just give it a go!” is Matthew’s advice for anyone thinking about starting judo.
Matthew believes competing has helped him develop skills that benefit his everyday life, not just judo.
He claims judo has improved his people skills, confidence, lowered his arrogance, and made him a kinder and more genuine person.
For those beginner judoka’s “You may fall, but just keep getting up.” You may even end up travelling the world through it!
