Lying just north of the Arctic Circle, where the midnight sun is visible for six weeks during the summer months, the Norweigan town of Bodø is home to judoka, Martin Sørensen. After taking a short break, the adapted judoka who competes with cerebral palsy, has been practicing and competing for the past six years, and this weekend competed in the Gdansk Get Together Tournament 2024.
It has been anything but easy, finding opponents or tournaments, having to travel across borders or extreme distances, however judo has given him something other sports have not, and so the commitment is worth it all.
The training in our home town, well we have a judo club but it is just mainstream, so to compete or meet others he has to travel, and the nearest is Sweden, but for Norway it is 600km. I wanted to join martial arts and my friends had joined the judo club so I decided to follow them. Judo has really helped me, I walk better now, I have better balance. I have been in many sports, but judo is the most inclusive one I have been in.
Travelling with father, Per Martin Jakobsen on this occasion, it was a great opportunity to travel together.
It is very interesting because you always get positive feedback and ideas, you always leave with the feeling like you want to return and keep doing it.
In an arena full of adapted judoka, and a multitude from one club alone, it is hard to imagine that so many don’t have this situation at home and are dedicating so much time to travel in order to keep up with their practice, which is the case here,
I am the only adapted judoka in my club, but in the whole of Norway there are only five. Being able to travel around European and compete it is really great, I meet many new people, we are enemies on the mat but friends when we come off!
Author: Thea Cowen