Gosens, who has about 4 per cent vision, was a keen drummer and had dreamed of working in the music industry.Paralympics Australia“It’s a hard career with a disability. It’s not the kindest industry and it wasn’t as accessible as I’d hoped it would be,” she said.
“I didn’t know how to break fall properly and I was getting smashed up and down the mat, it hurt so much,” she said.But she gave it another go, and quickly fell in love with the sport.“What kept bringing me back was the girls. They were really lovely and supportive, and never treated me differently. I never felt unwelcome or unsafe,” she said.
The sport is for athletes with a vision impairment, meaning judokas must use their sense of touch to sense and predict their rival’s next move.