All in Attitude!
The Judo Ace Ivaylo Ivanov: Follow your dreams so they don't chase you later
Every coach and serious athlete can borrow from other sports to raise the level of their goals. It is no coincidence that many of the swimming programs at American universities incorporate martial arts techniques into their physical training. The advantages of Asian schools from an educational, philosophical and psychological point of view are given in episode 7 of the studio "We will meet at the top" by the star of Bulgarian Judo, one of our hopes for a medal at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Ivaylo Ivanov.
The Seventh from Rio 2016, second in Europe and owner of hundreds of medals from international competitions tells the coaches of NSK Olimp (Sofia) Emil Milkov and Nikolay Mollov why proper nutrition is one of the keys to success. Ivaylo Ivanov reveals how fatherhood helps him in sports and with what examples he raises his sons. What life lessons did Judo and the Japanese nation teach the Ace?
Ivanov cooks his championship menu himself. He does it at the Belmeken camps, where he admits that he rarely sets foot in the restaurant. He has a stove and pan in his room at the high mountain base. He puts emphasis on the fish. He advises not to mix fats with carbohydrates.
"I get up at 6 o'clock in the morning and before the exercise I prepare my food, the fish. Then I eat. I cook my own food so that I can maintain the weight for training, so that I feel good and can then easily lose the competition weight - 81 kg. At the same time, I have to be the same strength that I have at 90 kg," reveals the star in our judo.
For him, it is wrong and harmful to eat once a day and abundantly. The champion himself eats 5-6 times a day. Thus, the body processes what is consumed more easily and quickly.
He advises not to mix carbohydrates with fats. "Then the body accumulates fat because it digests much more slowly. In order for the diet to be correct, we must cook it ourselves or be careful what we eat outside, adds Ivanov. - Avoid white bread, sweets, and fried foods. They go hard on the body."
By preparing his championship menu, Ivanov has ignited the culinary passion of the older of his two sons. He is categorical that by example parents should teach their children how to eat properly. The same goes for sleep. He goes to bed with them at 9:30-10:00 p.m.
"The children are like a rubber band, which must be stretched, but not overstretched, so as not to snap it. As an athlete, I'm used to being in control, to crush. In the end, however, as a parent with such an approach, you can hurt your child. And that will last a lifetime. One way or another he will bring it back, he will knock it out. And he won't realize it. He will become the boss and crush his subordinates," adds Ivanov.
Ivanov admits that he owes a lot to Judo, not only in sports, but also in the personal and moral terms. At the age of 13, he left his native city of Montana to continue his journey to the top."I could have become a gamer, like other athletes. I could lie to my parents that everything was fine, but I was motivated and had a goal. Judo gave them to me. It teaches you to be respectful of anything. In Japan, where Judo originates from, whether you're an Olympic Champion or Multiple World Champion, you have to respect your coach, also the elders. Unfortunately, this is not the case in Bulgaria. And you have to respect even those lower than you, he explains with respect.
In the material world we must help each other. Today you have it - tomorrow you don't. Such is the cycle of life. Someone may not have it today, but be more ambitious and be in your place tomorrow.
When you enter the Dojo, you always bow. When a fight with the competition starts, we always congratulate each other. After a fight, no matter how angry you are, the referee wants you to really thank your partner in the match.
“It depends on the loss. Am I harmed? Am I losing from my own mistakes? Nevertheless, I always blame myself for any harm. I try to motivate myself from the loss. I have to train more in the gym, be better than the opponent to succeed, and also not letting the judge hurt me. The mistakes motivate me. I'm looking for the spark to ignite again, to look for strength in the small things, in order to pursue our goals. I learned from my uncle that you have to follow your dreams so they don't chase you later," laughs Ivanov.
"Whoever gave his best in sports, even if he didn't succeed, he will certainly succeed elsewhere. He has built the qualities. He will be just as unforgiving when he gets down to something else and will keep digging. If he doesn't succeed, he will succeed in something else," inspires the young Ivanov, who is preparing for medals on three fronts this year - at the European and World Championships, as well as the Olympic Games in Tokyo.
ABOUT THE WE WILL MEET AT THE TOP SHOW
The educational program "We will meet at the top" is being broadcasted twice a month (one week apart) on Wednesday evening at 20:00, live on our Facebook and YouTube channels
All shows in the series ‘We will meet at the top’ (see here)
