23-year-old judo athlete, Max Teeuwen is the Nova Scotia True Sport Athlete Ambassador for April 2022.    

When Max was a kid his dad practiced judo, naturally, he followed in his father’s footsteps and began his judo career at the age of four. Competing on the mat for many years, he can confidently say his favourite aspects of the sport relates to the hard work and values it carries. “I enjoy the sport as it is individual, has a large amount of respect tied into it, and the physical training is like no other sport,” said Max.  

Max believes in the True Sport Principles as they are intertwined with the teachings he’s learned in judo. 

“True Sport is so closely tied to the values I’ve learned as a judo athlete. What speaks to me most is the emphasis on mutual benefit and welfare; it’s about including everyone and staying healthy,” said Max.  

In the name of health, Max has taken a break from the judo mat due to a knee injury. His goal for the future is to get back to National competitions. Reminiscing on competing, Max recalls an unforgettable match, “My most memorable sporting moment is getting a bronze medal at the Montreal Pan Am Jr Cup. My medal fight went into a long period of overtime and the crowd was going crazy, but I blocked it out and won the Bronze.” 

Max also remembers his favourite competitor to watch when he was younger. “My favourite athlete to watch growing up was Antoine Valois-Fortier he won a bronze medal at the 2012 Olympics and 3 World medals after that. I looked up to him for years and am happy to call him a friend now,” said Max. 

His advice for younger athletes is to stick to it to gain the rewards. “If you put the time and effort in, good things will come your way.” says Max, “I am thankful that judo has given me the opportunity to see many parts of the world, I’ve been to many European countries and also had a trip to Japan and Hong Kong for training and competition.”  

The Nova Scotia True Sport Athlete Ambassador Program is a social media campaign created to foster a positive and safe sporting culture across the province. The goal of the program is to increase awareness of the seven True Sport Principles; “Go For It, Play Fair, Respect Others, Keep it Fun, Stay Healthy, Include Everyone, and Give Back.” Each month a new featured athlete will share how they live the True Sport Principles in their athletic and everyday pursuits through personal stories on Instagram.