Kendra de Beer has won back to back gold medals in her age group.
For Reddam House Helderfontein student Kendra de Beer, the few minutes spectators see on the judo mat are only a fraction of the story. Behind them are years of training, early mornings, injuries and recovery, international travel and the challenge of keeping up with schoolwork while competing at an increasingly high level.
That commitment is paying off for the young South African judoka, who recently claimed gold in the U/19 Women's 63kg division at the Johannesburg Junior African Cup for the second consecutive year, before travelling to Morocco to represent South Africa at the African Judo Championships, where she finished fifth.
A two-time South African national champion who has earned her Protea colours, Kendra says successfully defending her African Cup title was particularly meaningful .
"Winning these titles is something I'm incredibly proud of. It represents years of hard work, sacrifice and consistency," she says. "Every year brings new challenges, so defending the title is never easy. For me, it's not just about the medal – it's about seeing how much I've grown and proving to myself that dedication really pays off."
