Malin Wilson – Come. See. Conquer.

05/10/2024

Born on 25 October 1994 in Ullapool (Scotland), and naturalized Spanish in February 2024, Malin Wilson Claret was, in another life, my children’s… babysitter. That was in the spring of 2013, in Lyon (France). Eighteen years old at the time, the U57kg was at the crossroads of a life that she already knew deep down was destined to be marked by judo. Was our meeting by chance? It’s hard to believe given what followed, from our nage-komi at the end of training sessions with the late Fred Cessin to this spring of 2024 of exchanges about that emotional lift that can be the Olympic home straight, via long discussions about Yannick Noah’s book Secrets, etc., reunions in Scotland or Austria and, who knows, more to come in Spain, France or California. – JudoAKD#024

An French version of that interview is available here.

Birmingham, England, 1 August 2022. Commonwealth Games bronze medallist behind future Canadian Olympic champion Christa Deguchi, England’s Acelya Tropak (now with Azerbaijan) and Mauritian Chritianne Legentil ©Dean Mouhtaropoulos/JudoAKD

When we first met in Lyon in 2013, you were eighteen years old, wearing a judogi with the bib of the British Olympic vice-champion Gemma Gibbons and a very strong desire to train which led us to cross paths or even travel together to the Dojo Olympic, in La Doua, Givors or Grenoble… What had been your journey in judo up until then?

When we met in Lyon in 2013 I had been doing judo in Scotland at a small club level between one and sometimes three times a week. It was not all that often that I could do three times a week as I lived far from everything, and my village did not have very good public transport in order to access the judo clubs that I would attend. When I finished school and saved up some money, I decided that I wanted to go to France to train there because I knew little about judo but I knew that I loved it and from there I had a dream that I wanted to be Olympic champion somehow one day. I knew that judo came from Japan, but I knew also that French were very good at and since I knew people in France organized seven months over there living with some friends of my family. The project was still a bit confused at the time, but it was in the making.

When you were in Lyon, you seemed to have a training bulimia, even if it means going to a different club every night. Isn’t that what suits you best, to have one foot in one club, one foot in another, and to carve out your own path, in your own way?

I agree 100%, it makes you richer. So much more rich. Knowing new faces, new souls, new forms of teaching and learning, different cultures, different dojos. It forms my life “story”.

At the time, you were asking yourself a lot of questions about what to do next. Two years later we met up again at your home in Edinburgh, where you were sharing a flat with Lisa Kearney from North-Ireland, who fought in the U52 category in London Olympic Games, and you were a regular at the Ratho training centre. What happened between Lyon and that time?

Between my time and France and my moving to Edinburgh to train there full time in the National center of Scotland, what happened is very simple: I fell in love with judo and it became much more than an obsession. It became what I most looked forward to. It became my life.

And then we met up again in Mittersill in early 2018, where we even did randori together. At the time, you were part of a British squad, but not the senior team. What had happened since Edinburgh?

When we saw each other again in Austria, I had been training at the National training center in Scotland and had begun competing even though I had very little success. At the end of 2017 I won my first national medal at the British championships. Third place. My progress was evident, as I am a very hard worker. And although my judo was not technically very good, at Ratho I was taught to, and learned to fight and survive, and push myself further than my limits every time I trained. By this time I had developed not only a desire to win, but the feeling of need to do so.

By the way: during that camp, you were there as a national medallist but your group didn’t mix with your national team. Why was that?

It’s always been like that. I’m not sure why, I guess Scottish and English rivalries will be like this forever, they always have been! In and out of judo. In and out of sport. It’s strange to be part of the same National team but almost completely separate. But we are used to it I guess.

You’re in Spain now, and I regularly see your name on the draw of major tournaments. Where do you train and how do you organize your day-to-day life to keep up with everything?

At the end of 2018 I became British champion for the first time and I also won my first medal in a European open, finishing second in Malaga. Medals give me the openings to be able to fight some bigger competitions at the start of 2019. There I met Javier Delgado who is now my coach. In 2019 I fought for him and his club at the Spanish team championships. I spent more and more time with him and his club training and traveling with them to training camps in Spain and I realize that not only did I love the training there, but I also feel at home. And for the first time I feel that I understand judo. Like really understand. I understand the way that Javi explain it to me.
In September 2019, I moved to live in Spain. Since then, I have lived here in Móstoles Madrid where I also train and work. My club and “home” is AJM (Asociación Judo Móstoles). When I am not training, I coach kids, judo classes, and sometimes adults too. I also work online as a nutritionist.

You’ve won some fine medals over the years. Which ones have made you the proudest? Do you feel you’ve reached your full potential and, since you’re going to say no, what are your goals to date?

The medals that I have won up until now have only been part of the beginning. They are nothing compared to the medals that I want to achieve and am working towards winning. However, they are, of course, part of the fundamentals and part of my journey. The one I am most proud of is probably my Commonwealth Games medal from 2022 as it was on the back of a very difficult time for me with a difficult injury and operation. I was able to prepare myself enough and recover enough in order to win a medal seven and a half months post ACL operation and this was important since it is the only medal that I can win for Scotland.
However, as I said, this is only the beginning. My next goal is to pick up Grand Prix and Grand Slam medals. Most importantly, my next goal is to rack up points on the World ranking list and manage to qualify myself for the Paris Olympics 2024… I know I know: no one knows my name and no one knows who I am… yet!

*Birmingham 2022, alongside two coaches who have played a key role in his progress: six-time Spanish champion Javi Delgado and five-time European and World Scottish medallist Euan Burton. ©DR/JudoAKD*

How did this medal at the Commonwealth Games, in front of your family, validate all those years of exile and sacrifice?

Think again. I know it’s hard to say, but this medal wasn’t an end in itself. It was important for two reasons: firstly, because it was eight months after my knee surgery and I wanted to win a medal, even in this condition. But above all it was important because it’s the only competition where Scotland can compete as Scotland, and not with a Great Britain bib. So it’s the only time I’ll have SCO on my back. That’s something special.
To come back to your question, for me this competition wasn’t any more important than that. I mean, it was incredible, it was a great experience, but it’s not at all the medal I’m looking for in my career. After that, it’s still a medal that had more personal importance, an important medal for my village Ullapool where ‘little girl Malin Wilson wins a Commonwealth Games medal’… But that’s all. This is still a medal. It’s not the medal.

So what is the medal that would make you so happy? Is it a medal, or is it a title, an emotion, a sensation?

Olympic, World, European. But first start with a Grand Prix medal and a Grand Slam medal. That’s the immediate goal.

Who have been the most important coaches in your career, and why?

From Lyon, you mean? That’s easy! Lolo, the big boss, my coach at the Dojo Olympic. I also remember Wednesdays in Grenoble and Lyon, as well as at his club with the great Fred Cessin (may he rest in peace) and a few other clubs with you, Mr Diao! There was also Vincent Valente, Marlène Martin, Jean-Pierre Roche… They’re all part of my history and my journey. My first club was Invergordon Judo Club with Gordie Millar and Bill Beavis. After that, when I wanted to train a bit more, I sometimes went to Alness with Gordie. Then I started training at a club called Highland Budokan with Robert Inglis. When I arrived in Edinburgh, Gemma Gibbons, Sally Conway, Matt Purssey, Euan Burton, James Millar, Lisa Kearney, Colin Oates, Kelly Edwards, etc. were still competing and then Gemma gave me a judogi. Billy Cusack was the head coach. I also went to his club, the Edinburgh Judo Club. Several coaches helped me during those years in Edinburgh: Matt Purssey, Euan Burton, David Somerville, Gary Edwards, Lee Calder…

How has your judo developed over the course of your matches, your coaches and the opposition you’ve faced?

Little by little my judo is evolving with the people I meet, the work I do on the tatami with Javi and all the other coaches I’ve met so far, the people I work with on the tatami, in training courses and so on. It’s like I’m refining my weapons. I’m learning and adapting my judo to the situations and rivals I may have, but now starting from a base where, at last, I can say that it’s Malin’s judo.

So what is ‘Malin’s judo’ today?

“Malin’s Judo” is what we refer to as my techniques, structure and strategy. No secret!

You said previously that you’ve understood judo. What do you mean by this? Why didn’t you understand it earlier, in your opinion? Is it a matter of practice, time, questioning?

That’s a complicated question to answer. I’d learnt a lot up to that point but, working in Madrid with Javi Delgado, I started to make a lot of progress and feel that every step I took, every sequence I learnt, well, I understood my own judo a little more. In other words, little by little I felt that I was beginning to have weapons, real weapons, and that I knew when and why to use them.

How do you reconcile your training with your more dietary activities? Do you manage to leave yourself time to recover?

Recovery is a major issue, and this is more and more. I’m learning that too. I do a lot of work outside of training, but I’m already training a lot! So what we call free time, I don’t have much of it, but I feel that I manage to rest and recover sufficiently to be able to give it my all during the week. It’s true that working so much and being a sportswoman is complicated, but that’s the way it is and I’m used to being at full capacity. Respecting rest periods is quite an art, in fact.

Your ambition seems to be growing. What influence did Yannick Noah’s book, which you discovered in Lyon, have on your relationship with sport and competition?

It may surprise you to know that the book you lent me (and which I ended up ordering on Amazon!) is still with me among my books of influence, and very close to me, even here in Spain. I always have this sentence in mind: ‘A word of advice: get into the habit of being out in front! To have the mentality of a champion is to learn to be in front and to choose the hardest path’. And this one: ‘Work your way backwards until the foundations of your future home are healthy. Even if that means going back to square one. Only then can you begin to build the house of your dreams’. My starting point was my arrival in Spain. The building of my dreams is finally under construction.

Do you have any other mantras or bedside books that accompany you on a daily basis like this?

Jonathan Livingston Seagull, by Richard Bach !

Similarly, can you give us an idea of your typical day? Your typical week?

My week:
– Monday/Wednesday/Friday: nutrition work online, coach adults judo, strength and conditioning training, lunch, coach kids classes 17:30-19:30, judo training 19:30-21:30/22:00 ;
– Tuesday: strength and conditioning training, coach kids classes in two different schools 12:30-17:40, judo training 19:00-21:00 ;
– Thursday: strength and conditioning training, coach kids classes in two different schools 12:30-17:40, judo training 20:00-21:30 ;
– Saturday: strength and conditioning training, online nutrition and physical therapy work ;
– Sunday: rest day – preparing week, do food shopping and meal prep, online nutrition and physical therapy work, rest.

*On the road to her first title at the Dakar African Open in November 2022, with Javi Delgado and Senegalese internationals Mbagnick Ndiaye and Abderahmane Diao. DR/JudoAKD*

You’ve been living in Spain since 2019. Do you ever feel homesick?

Not at all. I haven’t been homesick at all. I think it’s because I haven’t ever felt “at home” the way I do here. I just felt that it was home. It was just a feeling. The people here, my people, made me feel at home straight away too.

You were already speaking Spanish when we met. Where did you learn this language?

I learned Spanish in high school. I did Higher and Advanced Higher Spanish. Then I didn’t use it until 2018! Since I had no choice but to use it since I arrived in 2019, I picked it up fairly quickly. Now I even think and dream in Spanish. It’s almost all I use!

Unlike many of your rivals, you discovered the international tour when you were already a senior. Do you feel that you’re years ahead of your rivals, or years behind them?

I’ll be completely honest: neither! I train as hard as I can, I push myself harder than anyone I know, I’m eager and hungry to learn continuously. I give my all, all the time. I don’t compare myself to anyone else. I just know I’ll get there.

As well as your first Grand Slam and Grand Prix events, you regularly take part in Continental Opens, particularly in Africa. What are the big differences between these different levels?

The difference is huge. I only do the far away Opens if I have to for points. The level doesn’t compare to Grand Prix or Grand Slam. However it’s always good to get fights and fight experience as well as points!

What’s the atmosphere like between the athletes?

Everything is more relaxed I guess in some ways, there’s not quite the same pressure on athletes at these events. I prefer Grand Prix and Grand Slam even with the pressure lol!

Is there a competition where you clearly felt you’d reached a new level in recent years?

Portugal Grand Prix 2024, where I beat Spain’s Jaione Equisoain and then made a small mistake against the former World No. 1, Israel’s Timna Nelson-Lévy. Now I feel ready to fight fairly, given the opportunities. I’m ready.

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You obtained Spanish nationality at the end of February but, despite all your efforts, you posted the above message on Instagram on 18 May, putting an end to your quest for the 2024 Olympics. How did you manage to recharge your batteries this summer?

Everyone has a story. Those who qualify and those who don’t. We all do. The last four competitions that could have allowed me to qualify were “blocked” from me and so my Paris Olympic dream disappeared like sand through my fingers. It was really tough. For the first time in my life, I felt like I didn’t feel like doing judo. So I took some time off, to heal my injuries, try other things; in my case mostly boxing which I really enjoyed, and to have some holiday time which I hadn’t had in a long time. My holiday didn’t go to plan but it gave me time to reflect on all the good that I have in my life. I am so grateful. It gave me time and space to regroup my thoughts and get myself ready mentally for the next Olympic cycle.

You came to cheer for the Paralympics. Tell us about it!

I went to the Paralympics alongside many from our club. It was really tough to be there. However being there with “my family” was special. We went to support Sergio Ibanez Bañon (Tokyo U66kg silver medalist) and Javi Delgado. Sergio was so so ready to take home the U73kg gold. So ready! But you know how judo is… it’s unforgiving! It wasn’t to be.
The atmosphere there was unreal. Sharing something like that with your loved ones is really special. Like we always say; “En las buenas y en las malas también!” [“In good times like in bad times!”].

Where are you now? What are your short- and medium-term goals?

Now I will start back slowly. The main goal is to find the love again and enjoy training and competing. It’s been a long time since I have really felt like that. The last two years have been stressful rather than enjoyable.

You just finished third at the European Cup in Málaga on 13 October. That’s very encouraging!

Yes, especially as Spain uses it as a kind of qualifier for its national championships and I beat four Spanish girls on the way, including the reigning Spanish champion in the bronze medal bout… I was expecting a very tough day as I’ve only been training for one month. Twelve hours of competition, six fights… This medal was very important for me and for all the people from my club who were in the stands. It’s a relief, a first step. We’re continuing to move forward, step by step.

What’s next for you in the immediate future?

I will then do a couple of other qualifiers to get match practice too and to qualify for the Nationals. Aside from that I’ll fight in the Rome Open and hopefully in one of the French Pro Ligue encounters with OM.
My short term goal is to medal, try to even win the Spanish Championships at the end of November and therefore be able to start 2025 in a good position to hopefully be given the chances to compete internationally.

You’re coming up on your thirtieth birthday. A few years ago in Düsseldorf, I asked the Georgian Varlam Liparteliani this question, since our interview took place just a few days before his thirtieth birthday too: for you, is thirty a year more or a year less?

Thirty years old… I know, it looks and sounds big! But I have huge plans starting from thirty. Thirty is the first year of my four year LA cycle. This one is different. Thirty is going to reveal my best version in all aspects of me and my life. I really never gave importance to age and I don’t plan on starting now! I’ve got lots to learn and even more to give!

If Malin 2024 could give advice to the Malin who one day donned her first white belt, what would it be?

I think I would want her to know something like the following: « You are made for this. This is your dream and one day you’ll be so close to making it happen (hopefully I make it happen!). Not everything works out, you will have some very very tough times, some very hard decisions to make, you’ll make mistakes that have consequences but every single day, you will keep tying your belt just like you are doing now. That will be your strength. That’s also how you will learn to continue to chase your dreams no matter what. Your one constant in life will always be judo and you will always be able to fall back on it. The people that you will meet along the way make up for any other pain and difficulties you will face. And your dream? This is your dream and every day that you wake up you will keep fighting for it because you are that rough diamond amongst the stones that eventually makes it. » – Interview by Anthony Diao, winter-spring-summer-autumn 2024. Opening picture: ©Javi Delgado/JudoAKD.

A French version of this interview is available here.