Sarah Adlington on a Lifetime in Judo

We first met Sarah Adlington ahead of the Commonwealth Games and were immediately struck by her infectious positivity and determination. But for Sarah, the real rewards of a career in sport have always extended far beyond the medals. Through years of training, injuries and unforgettable competitions, it has been the people, friendships and shared experiences that have kept her coming back. Now, having stepped away from competitive judo, Sarah is looking to the future with the same passion that first drew her to the mat: championing women in sport, building stronger communities and helping others discover a sport where everyone belongs. We caught up with Sarah to reflect on a remarkable career, the memories she’ll treasure forever and what comes next.

It was the day before your fifth birthday when you stepped onto the Tatami. Do you remember what it was that first got you involved with judo? 

My dad used to do judo when he was younger and he actually got my brother into it first. You couldn’t start until you were 5, so I would go and watch my brother do judo every week beside the mat and watch him. I was so eager to get on there, so we convinced them to let me on the mat the day before my birthday so I didn’t have to wait an extra week. That day before my fifth birthday couldn't come quick enough and there's never been a time that I've not done judo since then.

What was it that kept the spark and passion alive for the sport all these years?

When I was younger I played a lot of sports, football, hockey, swimming, and judo was just something that I did on top of everything else. I then broke my thumb playing football when I was at high school and obviously I couldn't do judo anymore. It was then that I had a realisation of, when you can't do something, you realise how much you love it and miss it. Then watching the Sydney Olympics in 2000 was the first time that I really realised the dream and motivation. 

When was the moment that you realised that you could take your judo skills to the top level? 

That's an interesting one because I think a lot of people saw it in me before I saw it in myself, that was one of the hardest things to work on. I didn’t have confidence in my own ability or believe in what I was capable of achieving.  When I was a cadet and junior, it was my coaches who saw the potential and had more belief in me than me. Then after a while, you do start seeing the results and slowly the belief comes. I think confidence, especially in judo, is so hard to build and can get knocked so quickly, so and then you have to start over again, so it’s more of a gradual thing. 

Winning your first gold medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games was obviously a hugely pivotal moment, especially being on home soil! Do you remember what was going through your mind at that time? 

It was absolutely amazing. The judo team in 2014 won 13 medals out of 14 so it was a huge privilege to be a part of that. Billy, my coach's dad, had passed away the day before I fought in Glasgow and I'm really close to Billy and his family, so it was all a bit of a surreal experience. I remember that week of Glasgow 2014, the sun was shining and it was so hot, the bars around Glasgow were buzzing and judo was the first three days of that Commonwealth Games so then we got to enjoy the whole competition after it, so the whole experience, especially winning, was so cool. I only really realised the magnitude of what I'd achieved going into this year's Games though, if that makes sense. Obviously I'd won in Glasgow and then again in Birmingham but to be nominated as a Flagbearer for this summer's games made me realise the magnitude of what I'd achieved back in Glasgow. 

What would a training regime look like on a typical day prepping for a competition like the Olympics or Commonwealth?

Looking back, it’s really changed over the years. When I started full-time training at 18, the main focus was to get as much volume on the mat in, trying to make the process as autonomous as possible. Then, between the London 2012 Games and the Rio 2016 Games, I had four years of some quite serious injuries so we had to start looking after my body. From then, strength and conditioning became a major part of my training with judo bolted on. Between Birmingham and Glasgow, it was really about being smart, listening to my body and making every session count. At that point, I was doing weights and judo on a Monday, a conditioning session on a Tuesday, weights and judo on a Wednesday, conditioning on a Thursday and then weights and judo on a Friday with Saturdays being a catch up day depending on how my body was feeling. There's still a fair amount of volume in there but not as much as like when I was 18, 19, 20. It's not possible to do that.

What kept you going during those long days of training? 

You have to have good people around you, and it has to be fun as well. Training can be so monotonous and it is hard work and, sometimes you're doing sessions that you really don't want to do so have to have a good support network and training partners. Although it's damn bloody hard, there has to be an element of fun whether that's before the session or when the session's done, you need to be able to have that bit of laughter or camaraderie otherwise it's just too hard. You’d have to be pretty robotic to be able to carry on doing it if it's no fun, and that's not me. You can't be switched on all the time, you gotta let loose.

How would you say the discipline of judo helped shape how you live your everyday life? 

I tell everyone that judo's made me the person I am today. The original creator of judo actually created it as an education system with a moral code which you're taught early on, almost without knowing it. Although you're doing judo as a sport,  it was created as a system to help people be good members of society, so I think that it really has done that for me. The moral code isn’t thrown in your face, it’s just the way the sport is through respect, the bowing and the friendships I've made along the way. 

You announced your retirement from competitive judo earlier this year, after a hugely impactful career. What was going through your mind stepping on to the tatami for the last time at the Commonwealth Games? 

None of that was actually in my mind at all going into that match. I was stepping on the mat to try and win that third gold medal. Although I knew it was the last time, you can't face the mat any different. To be able to finish my career on my terms, although I didn't get the result that I wanted, is a pretty phenomenal place to be as an athlete as so many don't get that chance. If I hadn't been selected, then I wouldn't have finished my career on my terms. So although it wasn't on my mind when I stepped on the mat that final time, to have had that opportunity to represent Team Scotland three times was incredible. The standing ovation when I came off the mat was a sign of people appreciating what I've done for the sport. I’m so grateful for the opportunity too, even though it didn't go my way. I wouldn't have wanted to sit in the crowds and think, ‘what if?’. That would have been horrendous.

We’ve watched the video of that standing ovation so many times, it’s such a beautiful watch.

One funny note about that moment was with Sarah Clark who's someone I really looked up to, she was three times Olympian, European champion, Commonwealth champion in Glasgow. I could see her in the crowd opposite me during the ovation. In the moment, I was shell shocked because never in a million years had I ever anticipated losing the first fight, and she's over there orchestrating me from the crowd! She was telling me to smile and wave because I was just gone. It was surreal. The video itself was never supposed to happen either. I can remember the guy who took the video taking pictures with his dad as a young boy back when I was a kid. He was on the other mat and realised what was happening, so he left his post and jumped over to capture the moment. I’m so glad that he did, because I’ll keep that video forever.

 Major tournaments can be quite intense. What would you say has been your most fun memory over the years? Any stories that never failed to make you smile? 

That's where I've been so lucky. Most of the time I've traveled with my friends and my coach and when we look back, we never talk about the medals. Instead, it’s always ‘Remember this trip when this happened?’. I've got some of the funniest memories from trips to Japan, and from our time in Miami before the last Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. I'm so lucky that I've got so many memories from traveling the world with my friends, I'll be forever grateful. There's too many stories to mention. Judo's never been perfect, and you don’t always get the results that you want. But, I've never come away thinking that that was a terrible trip, because there's always been something on it that's  made you laugh, or a core memory that’s stuck with you forever. I guess that's probably why I was able to do it for so long as well. 

 Who would you say has been the best or most inspiring opponent you've ever fought? Has there been any, any particular rivalries? 

I've had some rivalries with the Chinese heavyweights over the years, but I think I'm inspired by the people that are closest to me. Sarah is a massive inspiration, because she was so successful. And Billy, my coach. Sally Conway, my best friend, she won the bronze medal in Rio in 2016, Scotland's only judo medal. Sally and I actually moved to Scotland together way back when. So, I think it's people that are closest to me who have inspired me rather than opponents, to be honest.

If you had to choose another sport to participate in outside of combat or martial arts, what would it be? 

Women's rugby. If I had retired younger from judo, I would have definitely liked to give women's rugby a go. The opportunities weren't there when I was younger. It'd be a completely different experience as well as it’s a team sport rather than an individual sport. But yeah, I think I would have loved to have tried to play a game of rugby.

When you're not on the tatami, where are you most likely spending your time? Do you have any hobbies or pastimes that our readers might not expect? 

I live down in Musselburgh, so I’m right by the sea. I like to chuck my paddleboard in the water whenever the tide's right and there's not crazy winds. I just love being by the sea, I’m a real water baby. I've also got a guitar that I keep picking up every now and again which I’d really like to learn properly and master one day.

Do you have any advice for anyone thinking about trying their hand at Judo?

Whatever shape or size you are, there's a space in judo for you. I think that's why it's such a great sport. Whether you're small, average size, or my size, there really is, there's no limits on judo. There's also no age limit so if you find the right club, you can take it at your own pace safely and really get something out of it. There's such a strong community, it really is a sport for all, and that's what I think I really love about it. I would recommend it to anyone.

And finally, what’s next for you in your journey? 

I hope to go on and be an ambassador for women in sport. It isn't always the easiest place for women to be in, and I really want to be that role model that people can look up to. You don’t need to be a certain type of person, sports people come in all shapes and sizes, and I do believe that there really is a sport out there for everyone. That's one thing that I'm really passionate about. It’s so important in society today that people have a community to turn to, and growing Edinburgh Judo to be bigger and better would help to create those spaces too.

A big thank you to Sarah for taking the time to chat to us about her remarkable Judo journey. If you'd like to give Sarah a follow on Instagram, you can do so here.