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Taylor Gosens is set to become the just the second woman to represent Australia in Paralympic judo after she was confirmed by Paralympics Australia as the latest Paris-bound athlete.
Gosens will compete in the J2 70kg+ classification when the tournament begins at Champ de Mars Arena on September 5.
She will follow in the footsteps of Desiree Allan, who competed in judo at Athens 2004, the year women’s judo was added to the Paralympic program.
Men’s Paralympic judo started in 1988, but only two men have represented Australia; Anthony Clarke who competed at five Games, and Wayne Phipps, who competed at Tokyo 2020. Clarke remains our only medallist in the sport, winning gold in the up-to-95kg class at the Atlanta Paralympics in 1996.
Gosens, 26, represents a new era in Australian Para-judo.
“I’m aiming for LA and Brisbane as well. But just now, to have this opportunity, it feels like it’s once in a lifetime,” she said.
“I don’t want to waste the opportunity. I want to take advantage of it, go out there to try and win and get the experience to take through the next cycle.”
Gosens has Paralympic blood in her veins; her father Gerrard Gosens competed at three Games, once in goalball and twice in athletics. He remains ever the adventurer, currently planning to swim the English Channel.
For a while, however, it seemed Taylor was headed in a different direction.
“My Dad was really into sport,” she said. “I’d go to the track with him, every weekend we’d go rock climbing when he was going to climb Everest – I was very much included in everything. My parents put me into lots of different sports growing up and I loved it, but I had a lot of expectations on me, like ‘When are you going to find that sport that you love?’ I wanted to make my mark in the world, but in my own way.”
Gosens’ passion lay in music. At high school she studied sound engineering and worked on her drumming. She moved from Brisbane to Sydney to attend the Australian Institute of Music. Judo was simply a hobby to keep active and counter the stress of study.
“Now, we’re finally here,” Gosens said.
“I remember Beck (Judo Australia CEO Rebecca Hamilton) and I talking about what I need to do to qualify. It was a bit of a whirlwind working it all out, trying to get funding and competing overseas.”
Gosens made special mention of Elliot Stewart, a silver medallist at Tokyo 2020 who joined Judo Australia in January to expand the Para-judo pathway.
“I’ve been working with him since the start of the year, so not long, but he’s really made an impact,” Gosens said, adding to her thank you list her parents, partner David and coach Ivica Pavlinic.
Australian Paralympic Team Chef de Mission Kate McLoughlin said Gosens was a great addition to the team.
“I’m so proud to welcome Taylor to the Australian team for Paris,” McLoughlin said.
“Judo is a highly competitive global sport and our presence in Paralympic judo has been sparing. Taylor has shown amazing commitment to reach this point and earn her chance to compete on the biggest stage of all. By doing so, she’s adding a very important new chapter in our history in judo at the Paralympics.
“I can’t wait to see Taylor in action, representing Australia at the Games, and we’ll be doing everything to give her all the support she needs to perform at her best.”
By David Sygall, Paralympics Australia.
Published 24 July, 2024.
