Sabrina Karoui Sellström, 18 years old (soon 19). Brown belt, planning black belt rating in May 2012. Belongs to Södertälje Judoklubb but is currently studying 3rd of 4 years at Riksjudogymnasiet in Lindesberg. Have been training Judo for almost 9 years. He loves to compete and does not regret for a second that she started training for today, Judo is the best she knows.

On December 5, 2010, Team-SM took off. I was borrowed in as a player to Varberg and was as tense as usual to compete. I felt good in the body and was almost completely healthy. The competition started and I drove just as I used to do and it felt good. It was in my third match that happened.

At the start of the match everything went as a foul, but then my opponent would throw in a throw and I struggled, that’s when it went wrong. I had a terrible pain in my knee, first time, then again. I had to break the match. It felt like the knee had jumped out, and with a wounded knee I decided to climb and run the next game. Unfortunately, I was banned and there was that race for me. There was no visit to the hospital because I thought it was a knee that jumped out and then thought that there was no idea to go to the emergency room, instead, we should wait and see if it got worse. I stayed for a few days and then went on training and racing my knees.

I had a time at a sports doctor here in Lindesberg and he immediately saw that it was the crossband that was probably due to surgery. He was right. On March 21, 2011, I was taken to surgery and then expected more than 9 months of rehab. 9 months without judo .. To study at a gymnasium and not be able to exercise its sport, it is mentally destructive. That’s what it was for me. Day in and day out with rehabilitation is nothing volunteer.

There were days I did not even want to go to the arena because I knew I’d see people driving judo, and just seeing others was terribly hard. Because I was supposed to be there on the judo mat and drive too. Some nights I cried to sleep because I thought I could never drive again. Many times I thought, and in addition, I taught myself that: “I’ll never ever get well in my knees”, “My judo career is over.” Because that was how it felt. Meanwhile, this injury happened to a lot of other things in my life that made matters even worse. I broke up a number of times.

But with the help of a curator and support from boyfriend, friends, family and coaches, I managed to get out of the black hole I had trembled with time, I began to feel better. I started looking forward, and with small steps I began to feel: “This can go”, “I’ll handle this.”

Yesterday (Monday the 16th) I took my first step on the judo mat since March and it felt top. Nervous, but wonderful! These months of rehabilitation have been the hardest months of my life. But the mental bit in me today is stronger than never before. I do not know what I would do without Judon, I really love it. Now it’s just struggling, and before we know it, I’ll be back soon on the race car.

“It’s not how hard you hit; it’s about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward.” How much you can take, and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done. “
-Rocky Balboa

/Sabrina