The youngest Team Alberta judoka for the Canada Winter Games is no pushover.
Alexandra Gagnon, 15, is an accomplished brown-belt who is in her seventh year in the in the martial art and is ranked fourth in Canada in the U18 minus-57 kilogram division.
“It’s a great sport to get into. You learn a lot about yourself. It teaches you really good morals, respect and discipline. It’s also a fun sport and you make a lot of friends through it too,” said the Sturgeon County resident.
This is Gagnon’s first season in the U18 age category and hasn’t looked out of place. Last month at a tournament in Regina, she placed second and in her first crack at U21 competition was the runner-up in the same weight class.
“I feel that (my age) doesn’t put me back, it almost motivates me to work harder and keep up with the others. I want to train to be at their level,” Gagnon said.
The Canada Winter Games, Feb. 13 to March 1 in Prince George, B.C., is another challenge Gagnon is ready to embrace.
“It’s really exciting because in my sport it’s bigger than nationals,” said the former national bronze medallist.
“I’m real honoured to be on Team Alberta. It’s going to be a great experience. I’m going to take a lot from it and I’m going to learn so much. It’s going to be a really, really fun time too,” she added. “My goal is to achieve a peak performance, do the best that I can and take as much back as I can for experience, be satisfied with my fights and leave everything on the mat and know that I gave it my all.”
Podium results have been a staple of the 2014/15-tournament season for Gagnon. Last weekend at provincials in Airdrie, she finished second and won the first fight-off for the Western Canada Summer Games.
Gagnon also placed second in the Nage No Kata with her brother, Nicholas.
At the recent Ontario Open, Gagnon placed third fighting national level opponents.
“My strength is I have good standing but I’m also very strong in ground work. I know if I’m able to take the person to the ground I have a pretty good chance of showing my skills on the ground,” said Gagnon, who has competed at three nationals, the Alberta Winter Games (plus-48 kg gold medallist in 2014) and internationally with Team Alberta in Florida during her judo career.
“The one thing I’ve really improved on is my self drive to improve physically, mentally and strength-wise. I always push myself to go harder to keep going and that’s something I’ve really improved on this year.”
The member of the Fort Saskatchewan-based Tolide Judo Kwai averages six training sessions per week, in addition to cardio and strength workouts outside of the judo club to ensure she can go the distance in the four-minute matches.
“There is a lot of healthy eating involved.”
Judo is a way of life for the Grade 10 student at John Paul II High School in Fort Saskatchewan.
“It’s a great sport. I love it,” she said. “I learned about it through family and friends but the best way for others to learn about it as well is to go visit their local clubs as there are clubs all around the area.”
Gagnon’s long-range objectives include a black-belt and the Olympics, where the majority of the female fighters are between the ages of 21 and 30.
“My ultimate goal in judo is to represent Canada at the Olympics one day,” she said. “I’m still young so I’ve got time.”
