Judo world vice-champion Jiulia Tolofua returns to her training club in Calvi for exceptional training

Jiulia Tolofua, vice-world champion in Judo, returned to her training club in Calvi for an afternoon. This Saturday, November 23, she trained the young judokas from Kodokan Corsica, very attentive to the advice of the champion, selected for the French judo team.

For an hour, the 2023 world vice-champion over 78 kg continued, on Saturday November 23, games and exercises with the judokas from Kodokan Corsica.

Aged 4 to 12, the children, impressed, listened to his instructions attentively. “When we reach this level, we are also there to set an example, explains the vice-world champion. Today, I am here and I am happy because it shows that when you come from a small club, you can also make it to the French team. For that, there are sacrifices, we must grit our teeth and move forward. ”

And precisely, this meeting gave birth to a dream among the young Calvais. “It’s nice because we’re not used to it”, confides Jade. “I tell myself that I can become like her when I’m older”, book Christmas.

On the tatami, Jiulia Tolofua took her role as coach to heart. A session led under the watchful eye of his former educators. “In Corsica, it was much higher. She dominated and her thoughts at the age of 12 or 13 were: I don’t want to do judo anymore.”, recalls one of his coaches.

Thanks to her trainer and her father, the judokate ultimately did not give up and joined the Ajaccio hopeful center. Now, with the French Judo team, Jiulia Tolofua trains at INSEP in Paris and travels all over the world for her competitions.

His training club had been waiting for his return to Calvi for several years. “Having known her when she was little, coming to practice in Calvi and seeing her progress and reach such a high level, it’s very pleasant. It doesn’t happen often, but it’s very pleasant and it’s really a great joy”, smiles Fabrice Carlet, president of the club.

After the session, everyone was entitled to a word or a photo. The champion and the young athletes will remember this exceptional training for a long time.

The report by Valentin Canals and Lou-Ann Le Roux: