Mar 15, 2016
Stepping on to the judo mat can give a person a huge adrenalin rush as they get set to battle one-on-one against a fierce competitor.
But for Rashad Chin, the feeling of adrenalin is something he experiences on a daily basis.
When he’s not trying to throw his opponent on the mat and score big points, he’s doing his best to save lives and bring people back to strong health as an emergency-room doctor at the University of Alberta Hospital.
“That’s the hardest question for me to answer because I enjoy both so much,” Dr. Chin said. “It’s a different type of adrenalin and I wouldn’t give up either of them.
“Stepping on the mat and competing, you’re in the spotlight. There’s nobody there to back you up and you have to rely on everything you learned in training, and I love going against a competitor that is out to beat you.
“In the emergency room, the stakes are high, but I love that feeling of being able to help someone who may be fighting for their life.”
Dr. Chin won the silver medal in the senior men’s brown- and black-belt 60 kg division at the Edmonton International Judo Championships at West Edmonton Mall on Sunday afternoon.
He’s been involved with judo for 25 years. He trains and teaches students at the Kodokwai Judo Club in west Edmonton.
In the past, he’s helped organize disaster relief efforts in the Philippines, Haiti and Pakistan.
So how does an ER doctor in one of the busiest hospitals in the province find the time to still compete in judo at a high level?
“Time is demanding on everyone. But things that are important in your life, you have to make time for them,” said Dr. Chin, who finished medical school in 2008 and his residency at the U of A hospital in 2013.
“As long as you prioritize your time properly, you can find ways to make time for things that are important in your life and judo is one of them for me. It gives me that stress relief away from the hospital.
“I’ve been doing judo for so many years now that I think that many of the qualities that make someone excel in life, I learned from judo. Hard work, dedication and learning how to win and be a champion, but also learn to come back stronger after you’ve been beaten.”
While his career as a doctor has taken him around the world, so has judo. He’s won back-to-back silver medals at the last two Canadian senior national championships and he recently won bronze at the Pan-American Championships.
When he was younger, he competed in tournaments in Spain, Korea, Europe, the United States and South America.
He won junior nationals in 1998 and in ’99 he won gold at the Canada Winter Games.
“It seems like ages ago, but I still enjoy it. I have so many fond memories of competing,” said Dr. Chin. “I probably could’ve reached different levels in judo, but I didn’t have enough time to dedicate to it to get somewhere like the Olympics because it’s so demanding. But it never crossed my mind to give up judo completely.
“This is a sport that will be with me for all my life.”
CHASING THE DREAM
Fort Saskatchewan’s Alexandra Gagnon has dreams of being one of the best female judo athletes one day, and the 16-year-old is pulling out all the stops to try and accomplish that dream — even if it means moving away from home.
She relocated to Lethbridge this year to take part in Judo Canada’s first-ever Regional Training Centre and she’s getting the opportunity to learn from some of Canada’s best judo athletes and instructors.
She had a very productive weekend at the 2016 Edmonton International Judo Championships, earning a gold medal in the U-18 category and silver in the 54 kg senior women’s division.
“I’m thankful for the opportunities I’ve been given,” said Gagnon. “I’m living with Lorraine Methot, who is one of the best athletes to come out of Judo Canada, and she’s really helped mentor me and help me with the transition.
“I’ve learned a lot of responsibility this year being on my own, but I’ve always been that independent person. My whole focus is on school and judo.”
Gagnon is the youngest athlete to train out of the regional centre. This is the first year that the centre has been operating, and it’s the largest of its kind in Western Canada.
She has participated in four junior national championships, winning a bronze medal her first time there.
She hopes to compete in her first senior national championship this year, and the competition she faced on Sunday included many of the top senior level competitors.
“Competing at the senior level is a pretty new experience for me, but I’m really happy with my performance today even though I wasn’t able to come out on top, I beat some of the girls that train out of the national training centre out of Quebec and have won senior nationals before,” said Gagnon, who lost to Quebec’s Camelia Pitsilis in the gold-medal match.
“This is a big year for me. I’m shooting for a U-18 national championship gold medal, and I would like to get on the podium for senior nationals.
“Moving away from home was a hard decision, but it was something I knew I needed to do to get to that next level.”
Gagnon also received the Stephanie Kerr Award for hard work, dedication and spirit. Kerr, who was from Edmonton, was an outstanding judo athlete who died in a car accident in 2005.
“Being given an award like that … I know the impact she made on judo here in Edmonton and her passing was tragic,” said Gagnon. “And it really hit home for me being an Edmonton girl.”
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