"I don't see any difference between men and women in judo, because I believe that judo is giving us something very special: equality and equity. On and off the tatami, behind the scenes, everywhere in our lives, we learn that we are equal, in judo.
No matter if you are an athlete, a referee, a technical official, the president of a club or federation, an executive board member of the International Judo Federation and of course ‘just’ a judoka, we are equally treated. As women, we feel accepted by everyone and I cherish that.
Having said that, yes, sport has been a man’s world and there are always issues but after more than 40 years in judo, I can say that in our sport, those issues are rather small. We can find solutions for all of them.
To girls who want to start judo, I have only one thing to say: come on, get in, just dig in! Judo is not just a sport and once you start, you can go all the way. You can even get job opportunities, build a career as an athlete, as a coach or a referee."
To paraphrase a celebrated slogan, as Nusa says, ‘Just do it!’