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LETS ALL HELP RAISE THE NECESSARY FUNDS TO GET TARA TO THE QUEENSLAND INTERNATIONAL FOR JUDO
Hi, I’m Tara Beale and I love Judo. I have recently been selected as part of the Auckland Judo Association Representative Team to compete in the 2017 Queensland International Judo Tournament, to be held on the Gold Coast 3-5 March 2017. To get there, I need to fund accommodation, travel and uniform costs. This is a fantastic opportunity and I will find a way to make this dream a reality.
I am very dedicated to my training and my goal is to go as far as I can. I would love to be good enough to travel and compete overseas and win medals for New Zealand. I know I’m fortunate to be chosen for the Auckland squad to go to the Queensland International Open – especially as I’m a lot younger and smaller than everybody else in the team. I expect it will be a challenging competition along with some hard training. However, I’ll come back with more knowledge and experience to put into the sport I love.
TARA’S BEEN SELECTED FOR THE QUEENSLAND INTERNATIONAL
I started judo when I was 10. From my very first class at my dad’s old club Judokwai in North Harbour, I felt immediately at home on the mat. When I started, I was the only girl my age at the club and felt compelled to prove myself to my training partners who were all boys. It’s still like that now, although a few younger girls have joined and I like helping them in the classes.
Six weeks after my very first day on the mat I competed in a local club competition, I was put into a boys division and won gold. I was completely thrilled at the win and I have loved competing ever since. My first major tournament was the Waikato / Bay of Plenty Open and I managed to win a bronze medal, losing my first fight to the national champ but winning all my other fights by ippon (instant win).
Since then, I have competed at every opportunity and won medals at the North Island Championships, Auckland International Open and 2 successive NZ National Championships.
For the past year I have been juggling judo and football, as I was at an elite stage for both sports. Recently, I have started high school and have now decided to focus on judo as my main sport. I’m training between 2 and 3 times a week at both my club and with the Auckland Representative Squad. I also work on my fitness and strength in my own time.
What I really enjoy about judo is the friends you make. When we’re facing each other, I’m determined to win. But once that’s over, it’s wonderful meeting new players in my age and weight groups, making friends and then catching up together at each major competition.
MY LATEST COMPETITION RESULTS
My competition results 2015-2016:
• 2015 Waikato BOP Open – U40 Silver
• 2015 Auckland International Open – U40 Silver
• 2015 North Island Championships – U40 Gold
• 2015 NZ Nationals – U45 Gold
• 2016 NZ Secondary Schools Championships – U48 Gold
• 2016 Howick Invitation Open – U50 Gold
• 2016 Judokwai All Clubs Fun Day Tournament – U50 Gold
• 2016 NZ Nationals – U50 Bronze