Sauna suits aren’t typical attire in Havana, Cuba, especially when the temperature climbs to 35 C.
But for Canmore judoka Erin Morgan, it was necessary couture during her daily runs to prepare for the Pan American Championships, April 28-30.
“I lost a few kilos in it. One guy lost 10 pounds in an hour,” Morgan said. “I was able to make my weight quite easily this time, so it wasn’t much of a stress.”
Cutting weight for the weigh-in was only one challenge for Morgan. Entering the biggest competition of the year, Morgan knew the bouts would be fierce. She needed to win the tournament if she wanted to go to the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics, but in order to do that, she would have to defeat the reigning Olympic and world champion – a tall task for a relative rookie on the world cup.
“This tournament was more about exposure than results for me. I wanted to get exposed to the top 10 and 20 fighters in the world,” Morgan said. “This tournament was the last one to qualify for the Olympics in the Americas. There were lots of fighters desperately trying to medal. That was not my objective.”
Morgan faced the 17th-ranked fighter in the world in her first bout – a Brazilian with 30 tournaments to her name this year alone. Morgan, by comparison, has only fought in three tournaments. However, she held her own and wasn’t beaten until the last second, when she was pinned.
Morgan said she knows she simply needs more experience to reach the top levels of the sport, and said the 2020 Olympics are still a “crazy, expensive dream” for her.
“I don’t think I’m too far behind. Small mistakes are the only difference right now, and I’m learning those with experience,” Morgan said.
Much of the tournament was learning how to prepare on foreign soil. Cuba had a much different feel than many other competitions, and it tested her physical and mental preparedness.
“Cuba is very different than Canada. We were in an old stadium and trained outside. It made it easy to make weight, because you’re always sweating,” Morgan said. “My mental preparation is better. I’ve been training in Montreal for eight months, and I know I’m stronger.
“I’m going into these competitions with a different mindset. I’m not just fighting the top fighters in Canada, I’m now fighting the top people in the world. There is no other level beyond this,” Morgan said.
She’ll now prepare for Canadian nationals, where she’s expected to win her weight class. After that, she’s off to compete in Spain and Slovenia, then back to El Salvador for another competition.
Morgan and the rest of Team Canada have several training camps planned overseas, so they can maximize the effectiveness for each trip. The competitions are also important, as Morgan needs more points in order to receive federal athlete funding. She also plans to hunt for more sponsors to help her Olympic journey.
It’s been a tough journey and difficult move to Montreal, but she doesn’t regret the decision.
“I really like Montreal. I like the attitude and the training atmosphere with the national team. There is more of a high performance mentality to training sessions than kids just running around. No one is forcing you to go to training. You’re here because you want to be here.”
