Gemma Burton, Olympic Silver Judoka, shares her experiences in Judo, overcoming obstacles, and the importance of physical education. She also discusses the value of effort in education and the impact of participation awards on personal growth.
Perseverance and determination are crucial in judo, helping to overcome obstacles and achieve success.
Working with a sports psychologist can have a significant impact on performance and mindset in judo.
Deep dives
The importance of perseverance and determination in judo
In this podcast episode, former judoka Gemma Burton discusses the importance of perseverance and determination in the sport of judo. She shares her own experiences of facing obstacles and overcoming them through the skills and mindset taught in judo. She emphasizes the need to keep going even in the face of defeat, and highlights the role of mental resilience in achieving success.
The impact of a sports psychologist on performance
Gemma Burton reflects on the significant impact working with a sports psychologist had on her performance as a judoka. Prior to seeking help from a sports psychologist, she was skeptical about its effectiveness. However, after just a few sessions, she saw improvements in her performance and mindset. She discusses the importance of managing pre-competition nerves and channeling them effectively to peak performance.
The emotional moment of winning a medal at the Olympics
Gemma Burton recounts her experience of winning a silver medal at the 2012 London Olympics in judo. She describes the overwhelming emotions and the tribute she made to her late mother in that moment. She shares how the achievement represented a culmination of years of hard work, resilience, and belief in herself.
Lessons learned from the journey in judo
Gemma Burton reflects on her journey in judo, highlighting the importance of trying one's best and being kind to oneself along the way. She encourages young athletes to find something they love and give their all to it. She also discusses the value of physical education in teaching life skills such as resilience, determination, and teamwork.
Gemma Burton (formerly Gibbons) is an Olympic Silver Judoka, now Teacher.
Gemma won a silver medal in the London 2012 Olympics as well as capturing hearts with her famous moment of the games of a tribute to her mum after winning her semi-final to take her to the gold medal fight.
Gemma and Lewis talk about the negative experiences she was able to turn on their head, obstacles she overcame, the skills of judo that it teaches you, how a judo chop isn’t a real thing, but also how she balances the internal and external motivations. Also now as a teacher, what she believes is most important for young people and the importance of physical education and what it teaches more than physical health.
This episode is sponsored by Sport Yogi. Available on iOS & Android Bring Yoga, Mindfulness & Meditation for Athletes to your team by signing up to Sport Yogi Teams at sportyogi.com/teams