Canmore’s Erin Morgan dropped her first and only judo match of the PanAm Games in Toronto on Saturday (July 11), but the 22-year-old said the result has only strengthened her resolve to improve.
One of the youngest members of Team Canada, Morgan lost her match to Isandrina Sanchez of the Dominican Republic.
“She got me in a hold, got a point, and was four seconds away from ending the fight. I got out of it, went in for a foot sweep and it was over,” Morgan said.
The result was a disappointment, but a day after the result, she kept the match in perspective.
“I don’t have a ton of international experience. I’m still in single digit matches and it’s unheard of for someone of my age to be at the PanAm Games,” Morgan said. “It’s hard to feel bad about it. I didn’t lose anything and I’m not in a worse position.”
Morgan plans to move to Montreal in September to concentrate full time on judo, and work with coach Sasha Mehmedovic. Chasing international experience, she knows she needs to compete more often if she is to improve, but is still facing financial barriers. In the classic athlete Catch-22 situation, she needs experience to earn Sport Canada funding, and funding to get the experience she needs.
“My biggest problem in judo is I don’t have the money to travel to competitions,” Morgan said.
She celebrated her birthday the day after her fight, and was able to soak up the Games atmosphere.
“There are 200 people on Team Canada. That’s the biggest for any games. There is tons of camaraderie. Anyone you see with a Team Canada uniform, you’re instantly friends with them. The cafeteria is amazing with international cuisine. There are big freezers full of free stuff. We get free massages, haircuts and dentist appointments.”
Morgan was able to stay at the Games until Wednesday, watching her teammates compete, before travelling back to Calgary to find a summer job.
She also thanked her many fans and supporters of her Makeachamp campaign, who kept her motivated along the way.
“Thank you for supporting me. I’ve been getting lots of messages and it’s great to see.”
