Kayla Harrison, an Ohio native, took home the USA’s first Olympic gold medal in Judo last week. It was her first Olympic performance, and she has been training in Judo since she was 6.
When presented with the gold, Harrison was thrilled, and could not hold back her tears.
“I was just kind of reflecting back on my life and everything it’s taken to get here and everything I’ve gone through,” she said. “”I’m just so honored to be America’s first gold medalist in judo. I’m happy to realize my dream.”
In this video from USA Today, Harrison describes her training and conviction to the martial art:
