"It's a strange feeling not to compete and not being on the tatami. I am not used to watching judo that way. To be honest, I feel better when I fight, my comfort zone is there.
But I must say that I do enjoy watching judo, which I don't really have time for when I am competing because I need to concentrate on my judo. It's a new experience and I like it.
Even if I am not competing here, it is fun and I am loving working on the Golden Score show so much. It is an interesting experience. For instance, interacting with Jessica Klimkait, who I used to compete with, was special. She changed weight category, as I did, and she told me that she thought about me because of that, so being on the tatami together yesterday for Golden Score was a really nice moment. What we can both say is that everything is possible. She proved it, as I did. We have a connection.
The point with being on the other side here is that when you are an athlete, you only care about your competition. You see the organisation, you see the referees, but you don't really get the extent of their work. This time, I had the chance to see what people do to run the event. It's a very big team that puts a lot of effort in behind the scenes and it was really great to learn all of this.
I do hope I will come back and compete again, but for the moment I enjoy having some more quiet time. I am still training, mainly randori, but everyday I do some physical activities. You know for me judo is a life style. It teaches you so many things, like staying strong no matter what. It doesn't matter if you have some injuries, mental or physical, you must stay strong in all situations and that is what judo taught me. I will carry on that way during my whole life.
Another important aspect is that judo teaches you to respect your opponent. In life, we can not be friends with everyone but we must always respect people. This is so important.
I started judo when I was 6 years old. Initially I was doing rhythmic gymnastics but when I discovered judo, I knew immediately that it was my sport, the one that corresponded to me so well. At the first training session, I fell in love with judo. It was my kind of sport. I wanted to beat everyone and I would work really hard to achieve that goal. My motto was 'I will not lose, I must win.' I still have that inside me. I am that kind of person, who needs to be a champion.
Generally speaking, I just want to be happy. I want to have a big happy family and no matter where, I want to achieve great things. I'd say that the most important thing is what you are feeling inside. You need to find the right balance, so everything happens like magic."
For sure, Daria Bilodid did some magic already in her sporting career. Seeing her during the Golden Score show at the end of the second day of competition in Baku proved that she is ready for some more. Whether it is as a competitor or in other sectors, that belongs to her, but with her mindset it is guaranteed that she will succeed.