78. David Terao - Olympic Judo Hopeful

Hi and welcome to the Tales From the Trail podcast by MatchPlay. In this episode I welcome Olympic Judo hopeful, David Terao. David was an All-American wrestler at American University with a foundation in competitive judo and jiu jitsu. He went on to compete as an adult in wrestling and jiu jitsu at the highest levels. He made the decision to go back to his roots in judo with the hopes of competing for the United States in the Paris Olympics in 2024. The attributes and habits David relies on to perform at this level are applicable to athletes wherever they are in their careers.

Summary

David shares his journey from a rowdy kid on a soccer field to becoming a successful martial artist. Growing up in Hawaii, he faced unique challenges as a minority and had to overcome the limitations of being isolated from the mainland. He started with judo and later added wrestling to his repertoire. David's competitive mindset and determination led him to achieve success in both sports, winning state championships and making it to the finals of the Fargo Nationals. He ultimately chose to pursue wrestling in college, where he continued to build his confidence and compete at a higher level. In this conversation, David shares his journey as an athlete, transitioning from wrestling to judo and jiu-jitsu. He discusses his college wrestling career, including becoming an All-American. David also talks about adopting a pro mindset and working with a sports psychologist to improve his mental game. He then explains his decision to return to judo and his goal of representing the U.S. in the Olympics. David reflects on the challenges and rewards of competing in judo and jiu-jitsu, and his determination to continue competing regardless of the outcome.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Early Martial Arts Experience

03:36 Growing Up in Hawaii

07:49 Getting Started in Judo

10:15 Transition to Wrestling

15:24 Training with Sibling Rivalry

18:54 Takeaways from Training Partner

23:21 High School Wrestling Career

29:23 Transition to College Wrestling

32:37 Balancing Judo and Wrestling

34:04 Building Confidence and Success

38:14 Transitioning to College Athletics

39:08 Becoming an All-American in Wrestling

42:21 Adopting a Pro Mindset

45:23 Working with a Sports Psychologist

47:49 Transitioning to Judo

53:29 Winning a Jiu-Jitsu World Championship

56:21 Being Present in the Moment

59:49 Representing the U.S. in Judo

01:04:35 Qualifying for the Olympics

01:10:50 Continuing to Compete in Judo