|
 Olympian
Kimberly Ribble-Orr was the keynote speaker at the recent Olympic Torch
rally held at Saugeen District Secondary School When it comes to
persistence, determination and commitment, Olympian Kimberly Ribble-Orr,
has all three in spades!
As a youngster, she made the decision at age eight that she wanted to be
a Ninja when she grew up. For those who don't know, a Ninja is an expert
in martial arts fighting. "Even at eight, I knew what I wanted but it
took me 10 years of training, before I got my black belt," she said.
The club that Ribble-Orr joined was however, a recreational martial arts
studio and, when she decided that she wanted to on further, she was
forced to change clubs and coach. "I wanted to go to the Olympics," she
says. "For me, that was always my goal and my dream. Unfortunately, the
club I was in at the time thought it was impossible so, I decided to
move elsewhere so that I could begin competitive training as opposed to
recreational." To begin competitive training at age 18 was considered
late, but Ribble-Orr perservered.
As she entered competition after competition, she won. To make the
Olympic team she had to become number one in Canada by beating 15
opponents - she did that. In the PanAm games, she had to be in the top
three - she did that. She had to be in the top three of the Commonwealth
Games - she did that. Then she had to be in the top five in Europe - she
did that. She had qualified for the 1996 Olympics.
As she was preparing to leave to compete, she received a phone call from
Judo Canada saying that she must fly to Montreal immediately prior to
the games. There, she was taken completely by surprise when she was told
she would have to once again fight the past Canadian Champion whom she
had already defeated. It was a political manoeuvre that said she either
had to fight a best two out of three matches or not go to the Olympics.
The defeated national champion severely broke Ribble-Orr's arm. Ribble-Orr
demanded that her broken arm immediately be taped so that she could
continue, which she did. With only 20 seconds left in the final match,
she was penalized for not fighting with both arms and with the loss went
her Olympic dream for 1996 along with the four years of training and
competitive qualifying.
Not to be deterred, Ribble-Orr set her sights on the next Olympics and
began training and re-qualifying all over again.
Eight months before the 2000 Olympics however, Ribble-Orr was in a
practice sparring match when her partner fell on her leg completely
shattering Ribble-Orr's knee. Immediate surgery found extensive damage
and her doctor told her that she was not to walk for at least three
months and, that if she ever fought again, she would end up in a
wheelchair.
 |
Each time, Ribble-Orr was told she couldn't achieve her dream, she
conjured up the picture in her mind of the little eight-year-old girl
who wanted to be a Ninja. "It was what kept me going," she says.
Concentrating on her therapy, exercise and training, Ribble-Orr reached
the point where she decided to enter the British Open Judo Championships
as an independent. There, she defeated the World Champion in 10 seconds
and then the World's Silver Champion in 15 seconds, something that had
never been done. Although, she lost in her final fight against the
Belgium Champion. Ribble-Orr walked away with the silver medal.
With only two months left until the Olympics, Ribble-Orr then went to a
training camp in Holland. While there, she had her entire jaw completely
dislocated and, because judo athletes must maintain their weight class,
it was a devastating blow that sent her home to once again face surgery.
Two months later however, she was at the Olympics.
"I remember that morning of the opening ceremonies," says Ribble-Orr.
"As all the athletes walked and talked on their way to the stadium, we
could see it in the distance but getting closer and closer. Then, as I
stood beneath the archway and then took that first step into the stadium
to the cheers of hundreds of thousands of people for the athletes, I had
realized by goal and my dream - I had made the Olympics and everything
had been worth it.
As luck would have it however ... Ribble-Orr's first draw was against
the then-current Olympic Champion from Cuba who stomped on Ribble-Orr's
foot crushing all the bones in it.
"I was carried off on a stretcher despite my pleas to have my foot
taped. I simply could not stand on it." Despite her injury, Ribble-Orr
still says today that she was and is a winner. "I achieved my dream of
going to Olympics and no one or nothing can ever take that away. So,
what I say to you [students], is keep getting up, whether it's school,
work or life.
Local Gold Medal Paralympian, Rick Carr, introduced Ribble-Orr
Rick [ Carr, local Paralympian Gold Medal holder] and I have both been
through huge adversity and both of us focused on getting up and
continuing. As long as you believe in yourself, that's the main thing.
Never give up and you will be successful."
For more on Kimberly Ribble-Orr,
click here
 |
for
world news,
books, sports, movies ...
