A few long flights, a tournament every week for two months, and finally in Seoul, Korea, 7,000 miles from home, I knew my quest was over.I would be representing my country in Sydney, Australia in the -66kg Judo category.

It was October and coming up on the last part of our season, and I was neck and neck with my rival, Jake Flores. All year we had been going back and forth, one tournament he would place higher, the next I was back on top. It was very close heading into the US Open, our preeminent national event. This was a tournament where you could get double points, so it was very important to do well. I was nervous, couldn’t sleep, and eager to fight. We both made it through the preliminaries pretty easily. I would be facing GBR in the semis, and he Canada. He won his match; I lost mine. Now the best I could do was third, whereas he could win. In the third place bout, I threw my opponent in only 10 seconds and won the match. Watching the final, I was even more nervous than any of the matches I fought in. I needed the British guy to win, and it was out of my hands, a situation I hated. Fortunately, the British player came through. I finished third, my competition second. Luckily, there were still more tournaments.

The week after we were in Montreal, mostly the same competitors in a different order. I was still nervous. Every tournament was becoming more important than the last. I won this tournament and Jake took third. We both left for Ireland later that week. Jake wasn’t feeling well and missed making weight. I won and pulled away a bit more. However, now I had to travel to Montevideo, Uruguay for the last of the Pan Am Championships before the Olympics. This tournament could almost give me an insurmountable lead. I finished second, losing in the final to the Brazilian who took third in the ‘96 Olympics. My lead continued to grow with only one tournament left. It was in Seoul, Korea, and one of the toughest tournaments in the world. My point lead was big, but not nearly secure enough with the Olympics on the line.

I heard Jake wasn’t going to Korea. I knew he was having trouble making weight, but I also knew if he placed and I didn’t that he would be going to the Olympics. I was tired of all the traveling, but I didn’t want him to show up, place, and beat me for the Olympic spot. I decided that one more trip wasn’t going to keep me from making the team, so off I headed to Korea. I arrived, registered for the tournament, and went to sleep. In the morning I woke up and went to weigh-ins. Here I knew definitively that my competition wasn’t here. It was unofficial, but with no more tournaments left, I was number one in my weight class in the US, and I was going to Sydney!

People often ask me how I felt when I knew I made the Olympic team. These same people look at me quizzically when I tell them, “relieved.” There wasn’t one point when I knew I made the team, because there was always another tournament in the distance. I think it’s ironic that I made the Olympic team fighting in a tournament that I didn’t fair so well in. But, I read somewhere that persistence pays, and in this case I’m glad it did.