HOWELL Gemma

General
INJURY HISTORY
She has suffered with injuries throughout her career, and has had multiple operations on each knee as well as neck surgery. "I feel like with injuries it's more of a mental game, like the motivation to keep coming back and get up again and again and take those knocks. The last few injuries I've said that will be my last one, but obviously there has been a next one. I surprise myself, I guess something keeps me going. You don't come back to judo until you are confident in the injury, otherwise you are putting yourself at more risk. So I've always made sure, and the physio and support team around me have always made sure they've got me in good shape before I've been able to fight again." (poddtoppen.se, 30 May 2019)

CHANGING WEIGHT CLASSES
She has competed in the -57kg, -63kg and -70kg classes during her career. She has been competing in -70kg since 2017 after her coaches advised her it would be best for her body, as she would not have to cut weight. "[Moving to -70kg] wasn't my decision at all. I remember at the time I wasn't happy with it and didn't want to. But dieting is much harder, eating lots is much better and right now I am loving life." (poddtoppen.se, 30 May 2019)

LONDON DISAPPOINTMENT
She said that while she enjoyed the experience of the 2012 Olympic Games in London, she felt low after being disqualified in her first-round bout. "I competed in the London Olympics which was an incredible experience, but I remember the very big low afterwards. I had the world champion in the first fight which was a very unlucky draw, and unfortunately I lost to her, which was devastating, because the dream is to try to win the Olympics. I wanted the floor to eat me up. I just wanted to disappear and not see anyone or anything." (shropshirestar.com, 05 Jun 2021; dailymail.co.uk, 31 Jul 2012; poddtoppen.se, 30 May 2019)