Winning a national title generally demands a single-minded, laser-sharp focus, relentless training and total dedication.
Kelsey Francis has managed to do it in two different sports while pursuing a PhD.
Already a national weightlifting champion, the 22-year-old added a judo title to her growing trophy haul last weekend, proving she’s not just versatile, she’s unstoppable.
Competing in the senior Kyu 78kg + division at the National Judo Championships on the Gold Coast, Francis secured victory in two out of her three fights against brown-belt competitor Nikita McDonald.
“I fought Nikita three times, I won two and the other one went to golden point and she won on points on that round,” Francis said.
“I think my performance was pretty good for my first judo nationals. I haven't been doing judo for that long.”
Despite her newcomer status, Francis thrived on the big stage.
“It was my first big tournament, so I learnt a lot,” she said.
“Thankfully there were some really nice people that showed me what I was meant to do and where I was meant to go.”
Her results from the national titles qualified for the next event on her radar, the Brisbane International Open which will take place on September 27 when she will be forced to once again demonstrate her versatility.
“The Brisbane International Open actually takes place on the same day as UniSport. So I’ll compete there in the morning and then for Bond in the afternoon,” she said.
“It's good to get a lot of fights in the big events. When you fight at a regional level, you fight the same people over and over again so challenging yourself at the big events where everyone fights differently is a great challenge.”
And she clearly loves a challenge. In addition to the workload for her PhD titled How women's access to justice increases household stability and economic development in developing countries, she runs Bond’s Judo Club and will compete at the Queensland and Australian weightlifting championships on August 9 and November 15, respectively.
And she is desperate to return to the winner’s circle having won the Australian title back in 2022.