Flipping fantastic: Locally grown judo star excels at international competition
DOUGLAS SPORT
Mossman-raised athlete Nikita McDonald has delivered an impressive performance at the Melbourne International Judo Open, winning silver and bronze in her weight category.
Nikita, who grew up in Mossman and is now studying in southern Queensland, excelled in judo while competing for the Coral Coast Judo Club.
She represented her home club this month at the elite competition, winning silver in the Under 21s and bronze in the Open category.
“It can be nerve wracking going to nationals, it is important to ground yourself and use the adrenaline to perform,” she says.
Nikita also mentioned the importance of being both mentally and physically prepared for competitions like this.
“Judo is not just about muscle and strength, it also requires technique and mental drive.”
While she just missed out on gold, Nikita used the opportunity to focus on improvement and to see what she needs to work on to perform better next time.
“Fighting in the open-age category gave me a better perspective of international expectations.
“In the fight for bronze I beat a girl I had previously lost to.
“This gave me the idea of what I have improved on.”
Nikita will soon compete in the state championships, followed by the Oceania Cup in Mandurah, Western Australia, where she hopes to improve her international ranking.
While Nikita still represents her Mossman-based club when competing, she is currently studying at Griffiths University on the Gold Coast, where she has recently been granted an elite athlete categorisation at Griffith Sports College.
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