"I can say that judo helped Saron become an actor. She started practising the sport when she was 5 years old in Germany, where we live. Being very involved in judo myself, it was a natural fit. She loved the sport immediately.
At the age of about 13, she also embarked on an acting career and then took classes at a drama school while pursuing her master's degree in psychology, a course she is still pursuing.
I can say that judo taught her resilience and really helped her develop her acting skills. Judo was an incredible school of life, the best school of life in fact. Then she did many activities, such as sailing, marathon running and horse-riding. She had a good foundation that judo had provided her.
Judo taught her self-confidence and self-awareness. It also taught her about diversity and accepting differences. I know she loved the time when she competed a bit. By practising judo, she understood the important concepts of conflict resolution and not being afraid. It's so important to be able to lay these foundations when you're a child."
Dr Tsegaye Degineh is very proud of Saron indeed. Starting next week, she will be in the Bavarian region, in the mountains between Germany and Austria, for a new shoot. She also appeared in a Nike commercial recently, in which she performed an o-goshi.
At 24, a career is opening up for her and it's always great to see that these early years of practice have had such an impact on her and those around her. In Saron's case, judo was a key factor in her talent as an actor. How will judo open doors for you?
