USA Judo’s Hannah Martin on mom guilt, competition and hopes for Paris 2024
If you think that juggling elite competition, training, living in a new country, and working is a lot already, try adding a three-year-old to the mix.
In an exclusive interview with Olympics.com, Hannah Martin shared her journey navigating the complexities of motherhood, pursuing her dreams on the mat, and acting as a role model for her daughter and athletes everywhere.
With the World Judo Championships from 19-24 May in Abu Dhabi, Martin is ready to make her mark on the judo world once again. This time, with her daughter Zoey cheering in the crowd.
Hannah Martin returns to competition after giving birth: “I still had a fire in me”
Martin, a judoka for Team USA, has been competing at the elite level for over 14 years. In 2022, she made a remarkable return to competition, shortly after welcoming her daughter Zoey into the world in 2021, just before Tokyo 2020.
Despite the demands of motherhood, Hannah felt an undeniable urge to return to the judo arena. Reflecting on her decision, she shared, “I decided to come back to judo because I still felt like I had a fire in me to compete again. I wanted to see if I could compete at a high level as a mom. And I'm still here, so I am pretty happy with how far I've come.” However, like many athletes, she acknowledged the perpetual desire for more.
Contrary to her expectations, getting back into shape wasn't the greatest challenge in Martin’s return to competition. “Coming back, fitness wasn't the hardest part. I was surprised. It was easier than I thought,” Martin explained. “The biggest challenge was actually not sleeping properly. Because my daughter doesn't like to sleep. She's a wild child. So this is the hardest part, I don't get to recover as much as I used to. But I'm not the priority. She's the priority."
Judo is deeply ingrained across all areas of Martin’s life, from competing to working at the European Judo Union, to the dynamics of her personal life. Martin’s husband, Miguel, works as a coach for the German team as well as coaching Martin herself. They don’t call it the “judo family” for nothing.
“It's just me and him. We have no family here [in Germany], so we are the only ones really taking care of my daughter. She's coming to judo, to the tatami, with us. So juggling this has been probably the hardest for us as a family. Both as an athlete and coach.”
Thankfully, some members of Team USA help out. “I have some babysitters on the team who look after her if she is at a competition,” Martin shared.
Navigating 'mom guilt'
But, between the busy training camp and competition schedule, Zoey is not always able to be with her, and the mom guilt starts to set in.
“I think a lot of moms who are competing get this mom guilt feeling. When I’m about to leave I always get this feeling like oh, my God, I'm leaving her. It's hard because she starts to cry. She goes, no mommy, no judo. No, don't go. Because she sees my suitcase and she, automatically knows, oh, you're leaving."
Martin has competed in six competitions this year alone, not to mention several training camps in between. “There's been times where I'm like weeks on the road and I only see her on FaceTime. She gets upset, she won't even look me in the eye," she said.
“So I feel guilty, I get this pain in my stomach. But I'm like, Hannah, you have to go to this competition. When I’m walking out onto the tatami I tell myself: You have to fight. You have to give it your all because you have this little beautiful child at home who needs you. It is definitely a huge motivation,” Martin told Olympics.com.
Hannah Martin: “I wanted to be a role model for her, to show what it means to do something you love”
But, even when Martin is away, Zoey keeps a watchful eye from abroad: “When I'm away, my husband puts my fights on the TV, and then they watch it together. She doesn't know exactly what I'm doing. But she knows that ‘mommy is doing judo’. When I know she’s watching, my heart feels full.”
But Martin's return to competitive judo isn't just about personal achievement; it's also about setting an example for her daughter and other women like her.
“I wanted to come back also to show that other women like me can do sports. You can do it all even though it is difficult. But I also wanted to be a role model for her, to show what it means to do something you love. To pursue a dream, to have passion for what you do.”
"There are hard parts, of course," Martin acknowledges. "But I want her to see that her mom loves judo and that she's having fun and enjoying herself. Hopefully, when she's older, she remembers this part of the judo journey."
Martin's advice to other athlete moms? “Just keep swimming”
“Just keep going," Martin said. "It's like what Dory says - just keep swimming. Some days are really just harder than others.”
She also emphasizes the importance of remembering one's purpose and passion, especially during the most challenging moments.
“Some weeks are harder than others. So you really have to focus on and remember what’s your why. Why are you here? Because you love the sport. You're here because you want to pursue your dream. So you have to always remember during the hard days when you're completely done, you're exhausted. You feel like you have nothing left. Just keep going. Just keep pushing through.
“That's what I have to tell myself. I chose to come back, it's my decision to be here. No one made me come back to judo after having a baby.”
Thankfully, as Martin prepares to compete at the world judo championships on 21 May, there will be no mom guilt this time, because Zoey is jetting off with her to Abu Dhabi.
"She likes to travel," Martin shares with a smile. "The airplane, the suitcase. She loves the whole thing. And she's a really good traveler. I'm very lucky."
Judo moms: “I feel like I’m in a new club”
For other athlete moms juggling the demands of sport and motherhood, Martin's mantra to "just keep swimming" is a powerful piece of advice.
But Martin is not alone, as there is a whole club of “judo mommies” supporting each other.
“There are a lot of women doing judo right now that are mommies. There's Nekoda Smythe-Davis. Our daughters are only three months apart, so we understand each other really well because we are going through the same thing. There’s also Kim Polling.
"And of course, there’s Clarisse [Agbegnenou]. She won the world championships last year after having a baby. This is absolutely amazing, she also can do it. She's the Olympic champion, came back, and she's still killing it. She's also my competition in -63kgs. But it's really amazing seeing her, doing what she's doing at a high level again. And, she's taking her daughter everywhere with her.
"Seeing her, I know how hard it is," Martin reflected. "And she's doing it while winning medals. I have so much respect for her, and this also gives me motivation.
“Actually, we all have daughters. So maybe all of our girls are going to be fighting against each other in the future, hopefully.”
To Martin, it feels like she has found a group she belongs in. “It’s like I’m in this new club, called moms-understand-moms. We all give each other little mom inspirations. When we see each other at competitions, we give each other support. We look at each other, and we’re like, yes, I know.”
Hannah Martin: “I'm like a big sister to the youngsters on the team"
Martin not only supports her new clubmates but is also deeply invested in the development and success of her teammates within Team USA judo. She takes on a supportive role that can be described as a mom to the team, or as she prefers - “a big sister.”
“I'm like a big sister to the youngsters on the team,” the 35-year-old shared. “There are a lot coming through which is very exciting for the next Olympic Games in LA.
"We should definitely keep our eyes out on Jack Yonezuka. He has two junior world medals and is someone who is hungry. He's young but he has this fire in him, he wants to go out there and beat everyone. He's dangerous. On a good day, he could even beat some of the top players. So I think he could maybe make a surprise in Paris for some of the older judoka at 73 kilos."
Martin also mentions Maria Laborde, at -48kgs, who won silver at the World Masters and took a bronze medal at the 2024 Pan-American championships.
Then there's also two-time Olympian Angelica Delgado at -52kgs. "I love her, we've been teammates forever. We used to compete against each other in -57kg back in the day. Paris would be her third Olympic Games, I am always rooting for her.
"I am hopeful for Team USA judo. These developments have been really great for us moving into LA because we need some good positive energy for the future. It’s going to be great that we are hosting the Olympics in 2028 and I am looking forward to seeing how the team grows in the next 4 years."
*As National Olympic Committees have the exclusive authority for the representation of their respective countries at the Olympic Games, athletes' participation at the Paris Games depends on their NOC selecting them to represent their delegation at Paris 2024.
The Olympics would be “the icing on the cake.”
Martin told Olympics.com that she came back because she loves the sport, is enjoying it, and still has goals within it. Among the goals is to win fights, and medal.
“When I first came back, the goal was not the Olympics, actually. I just wanted to come back and win fights. I wanted to medal, and that happened at the Pan-American Championships last year when I got bronze in Calgary. So that was very big for me.”
Martin also medalled at a European Open, and placed seventh at a number of Grand Slams.
“My other big goal was to medal in a Grand Slam. I haven't gotten there yet, but I’m close."
As for the Olympic Games Paris 2024, that was something Martin hadn't yet considered.
"The Olympics wasn't in the conversation, really. I'm going to be around the competitions for the qualification. And if it happens, it happens. I am doing my best and that's all that matters. It would be like the icing on the cake. It would be a great way to show myself, my family, and my daughter, that I made it to the biggest competition in the world. People have qualified at the last minute, so there's always a possibility. I would love to finish it in Paris.”
Martin remains focused on securing crucial ranking points that could pave the way for her Olympic dreams to become a reality. "It’s really up to what happens at the Worlds, honestly. Because those are big points," she emphasizes.
Martin and Team USA are gearing gear up for the World Judo Championships in Abu Dhabi, where she is set to compete on 21 May.