The Coronavirus pandemic has had and continues to have a huge impact on our daily lives. Judo and all judo events have had to stop, but this does not mean the sport can’t be still part of our lives. As big changes have made to our daily routines, our Talent Cymru Athletes share how they’ve adjusted to life in lockdown.

Daniel Rabbitt, 20, got into judo when his mother was working in a university and a new judo club started. He went for a taster and the rest is history! As he enters his sixth year on the programme, Dan lets us in on how life has changed over the past few months…

Where have you been based during lockdown and how have restrictions affected your training?  

DR: I have been based at home, and lockdown has of course exhausted most of my daily routine however I have been able to keep up training and start road cycling which I am enjoying very much.

How have you stayed motivated & focused during this time? 

DR: Maintaining a routine and finding fun ways to train, also taking up endurance cycling to have fun while also training.

Has there been anything new that you have incorporated into your training and routine due to restrictions that you will continue with in the future? 

DR: Definitely cycling, I have found that I enjoy this much more compared to running etc. also reading, I will continue reading more once lockdown is finished, not just material for my degree but for fun.

What have you been focusing on in the past few months, outside of the dojo? 

DR: I have been focusing on studying and also maintaining my fitness/strength to ensure I am ready for when I return. Also been focusing on finishing my recovery from my surgery.

Have there been any positives which you can take from the past two months which you feel has benefited you in the long term, both in sport and outside of sport? 

DR: I was able to focus more on my studies and in particular my exams and assessment, without the social distractions and being stuck in it was the perfect opportunity to work hard.

What excites you most about returning to normal routine? 

DR: Having structure and order with a daily routine, that and also being able to train again for the first time since October!

And finally, what has been your biggest lockdown Nexflix binge?

DR: Louis Theroux documentaries!