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GURNEE – Steve Papadakis just wanted his daughter to have an outlet that could teach her how to defend herself. Little did he know that eight short years later, his daughter would be a judo champion.
At 12 years old, Nefeli Papadakis of Gurnee has filled her life with martial arts. Training tirelessly five to six days a week to prepare herself for tournaments, Papadakis consistently ranks as one of the top girls in the country for her weight class.
Last weekend, she won the 2011 Judo Junior Nationals in Toledo, Ohio. It was an impressive feat, but her father acted as if he knew the outcome all along.
“She got first place, but the competition wasn’t as stiff as we thought it would be,” Steve Papadakis said.
This year seems to be an extension of Papadakis’ success in 2010. Last year, the Woodland Middle School seventh-grader ranked No. 1 in the country and also joined the Pan-American Games as part of the Team USA infantile team. In that tournament, her team finished as silver medalists.
Despite the time commitment needed to participate in judo, Papadakis has found other outlets for her energy. In fact, her extensive judo training has allowed her to excel in other athletic endeavors.
“[Judo] does take a lot of time, but I like basketball and judo and athletic training, in general,” Papadakis said. “In judo, you have to [be] tough, and you can’t be a wimp in basketball. In basketball, if I fall I can get back up, and I can keep my composure, so I can be the best player.”
Despite her talents, Papadakis remains humble.
“I have a wall in my basement and it has all of my medals and trophies on it,” Papadakis said. “Sometimes I like going down there, but I don’t have all of my trophies all over the house like some people do.”
After training for nearly nine years at judo, Papadakis stands at the purple belt ranking. She currently is undefeated at the 54-kilogram weight class for her age group.
Despite all of her accomplishments, she’s not done learning. Now, she wants to add jujitsu training to her repertoire.
All of her work simply leads to her becoming a better martial artist.
“I love learning; I love the sport,” Papadakis said. “I have friends that do judo, too. But I like just getting different people to compete with testing where I’m at. When I get a different person to train with, I can learn different things from them.”
“My goal is to compete in the Olympics someday.”
At the tender age of 4, Papadakis began her martial arts journey.
“I was looking for something so she could learn some self-defense,” Steve Papadakis said. “It helps your self-esteem and your confidence, and every young girl needs that.”
Steve Papadakis, a first-degree black belt and certified USA Judo coach, hoped to find an outlet in which he could spend time with his daughter.
“Judo allows parents to work out with their kids, so I get to work out with her,” he said. “I love seeing her develop. … I see how she develops over the years, how she develops into the sport with everything she does. Whether it’s her basketball team or in school, I get to see her grow as a complete person.”
Papadakis went into last weekend’s tournament with her sights set on Massachusetts-based Olivia Winsor, someone she’s been competing with for more than half of her young life.
“One of the girls I’m playing at [the Junior Nationals], I’ve been playing since I was 5 or 6, so I want to beat her this time,” Nefeli said before her competition. “She’s pretty good, but I think I can win.”
Papadakis defeated Winsor to became the tournament champion – just another accomplishment she can be proud of.