Senior judokas Joelle Lum and Sydney Lau have been competing for Pac-Five since middle school. This season, their final one in high school, closed on a high note for both of them, with Lum placing first and Lau placing third in the ILH championships for their respective weight classes.
JOELLE LUM (’26)
Joelle Lum began judo at a young age, coming from a family of judokas. Her parents are judo senseis and her three older brothers also competed in high school, two of them winning the state championships in their senior years. All of them have mentored Lum in some fashion, both in judo and also in life. When Lum became a seasoned judoka, she decided to share her love for the sport by teaching little judoka at her club, Salt Lake Judo Club.
As the 2026 school judo season kicked off, Lum was anxious. “I am clumsy and keep accidentally getting hurt, and I really don’t want it to affect how I play,” she wrote. At the same time, she felt a sense of relief, knowing that her high school judo journey is almost over. Her hopes entering the season were two-fold: She wanted to compete to the best of her ability and push her team to do the same. She also hopes that her underclassmen teammates will be ready to start the next season without her and the other graduating seniors. Lum shared that judo has taught her about the importance of hard work because she has to practice continuously in order to get better and see results. During the off-season, Lum attends club practice three days a week and works out on her days off.
SYDNEY LAU (’26)
Sydney Lau began judo at the age of five when her parents signed her up at the Salt Lake Judo Club. Before joining the school team in 8th grade, Lau had only stuck with the sport because her parents gave her no choice. It wasn’t until the Covid-19 pandemic shut everything down that Lau began to miss judo practice. In Pac-5, the team HBA students participate in, Lau actually began to like judo and enjoy the competition because of the new friends she was making. Going into her last year of high school judo, Lau is very excited for what the season brings and the new competitors that she will be facing. At the same time, she’s sad that it will be the last season with all of her teammates. “It feels strange that it is my last year, but I am ready to show up and give it all I got. I am extra motivated to practice hard and do well during the season to achieve the goals I set for myself, “ wrote Lau. This season, Lau has her sights set on the ILH Champion title, as well as placing in the state championships. Although she has high expectations for this season, Lau’s main goal is to have fun and enjoy the last season with all her friends. Lau credits Sensei Duane, the Pac-5 judo head coach, for making the most impact on her. His dedication and passion for judo encourages her to continue practicing even though judo can be tough.
Judo has taught Lau many valuable lessons, including how to be mentally and physically strong. “The pressure of being the only one on the mat, staring at your opponent, with everyone watching you has taught me how to handle myself,” she wrote. It has also helped her stay calm in nerve-wracking situations. Since judo matches competitors up by weight classes, the aspect of training her body to eat the right things and to be disciplined to train on top of practice has given Lau an edge over her competitors. During the off-season, Lau prepared by going to CrossFit to work on her strength, cardio, and endurance. She also goes to club practices in order to allow her body to not be rusty going into the high school season. Lau also competes as a wrestler for Pac-5. As wrestling is a fall sport, she believes that the conditioning from wrestling heavily contributed to her stamina in her judo matches. “Although wrestling and judo are different, both sports require a strong mentality which I feel wrestling has prepared me for in the upcoming judo season,” wrote Lau.
