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Atlanta, GA | Posted: August 10, 2016
Steven Norris
Georgia Tech Social Media Manager
Summary Sentence:
Engineering graduate Christopher George is making history as the first-ever Judo competitor representing Trinidad and Tobago at the Olympic Games.
Full Summary:
Engineering graduate Christopher George is making history as the first-ever Judo competitor representing Trinidad and Tobago at the Olympic Games.
Christopher GeorgeAt 32 years old, Christopher George put his engineering career on hold to accomplish his dream of representing his home nation at the Olympic Games.
George is the three-time defending national Judo champion in the Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago.
After a couple of years of heavy training, George qualified for the Rio Olympics by placing 7th at the 2016 Pan American Judo Championships.
He committed fully after qualifying, putting his career as an engineer on hold.
Prior to making the cut for the Olympics, George was a process engineer managing multi-million-dollar energy sector projects across the globe. He earned his degree in chemical and biomolecular engineering from Georgia Tech in 2006.
Before judo became his full-time endeavor, George was also a highly accomplished swimmer. That led him to water polo – he even captained Trinidad and Tobago’s national team from 2008 until 2011.
But now his sights are laser-focused on Judo and representing his nation for the first time.
“The first match is the most important thing,” George says. He knows he’ll need to string together four or five victories in order to medal.
But more importantly, he wants to show his determination.
“It is not the victory after all, but the fight that a brother makes,” George says.
George's first round match is scheduled for 10:03 am Thursday morning. You'll be able to watch him live through links on his official Olympic bio here.
For more on Yellow Jackets competing at the 2016 Rio Games, click here.
