An emotional Abby Lloyd returned home on Friday, July 8 to a crowd of family and friends gathered at Powell River airport to congratulate the 14-year-old on her first place finish at judo’s junior national championships in Sept-Iles, Quebec.
Lloyd took out Quebec’s Josianne Gagne in her final match in the female Under-17 48-kilogram category to finish first in the tournament. Lloyd faced a total of four competitors in the competition, which took place over the Canada Day long weekend. Facing Gagne, who is a black belt, Lloyd didn’t expect to win but when she saw an opening she threw Gagne to the mat on her back to take the match.
“My game plan coming into the last fight was ‘I’m just going to give it my all. If I don’t win, second is still good,’” said Lloyd. “I kind of surprised myself on the last fight.”
The win qualifies Lloyd for the World Championships Cadets tournament in Kiev, Ukraine from August 11 to 14. She will be going to the tournament after five days of training in Montreal with the international team. Lloyd, who has never travelled outside Canada before, now is also qualified to compete in another world tournament in Germany in the spring.
Points that Lloyd earns at these international tournaments for winning matches will ultimately go toward her Olympic standing to qualify her for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Lloyd’s goal has long been to compete at the Olympics and she is thrilled to be one step closer with her recent success.
“I think it will be a good opportunity,” said Lloyd. “I don’t expect to win my first international tournament but it should be great experience and I look forward to learning more about myself and what kind of fighter I am and just moving on up.”
The win also has given Lloyd the opportunity to train with national team coach and former Olympian Marie-Hélène Chisholm. Lloyd has a poster featuring Canadian female world fighters up on her wall, one of whom is Chisholm.
“It’s unbelievable that I’m actually getting to train with her now,” said Lloyd. “It was like a dream. I looked up to these people as a little kid and now they’re my coaches.”
Lloyd attributes her success to dedication and support of her coaches. She has recently added Brazilian jujitsu to her repertoire, a style of fighting that complements her judo training.
The turnout at her arrival attests to the level of support and encouragement found throughout Powell River toward the young athlete, evidenced in a gesture that brought Lloyd to tears as she accepted flowers and hugs outside the airport.
Her family is now working toward getting a passport for Lloyd as fast as they can while Lloyd prepares for more training and the international competition.
