Daniel attends Miami judo grand prix
Woy Woy Judo Club competitor Daniel Simmons will compete in the 2013 IJF Miami Grand Prix on June 15 and 16.
Simmons, 27, is among the 10 selected Australian male and female athletes who will travel to the Doral Golf and Spa Resort in Miami, Florida, for the world selection competition of the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
"This is by far a massive achievement and honour to be named in the team for the
Grand Prix," Simmons said.
"When I went to Miami in 2011 and competed it was then a World Cup event, but a Grand Prix is a step under from the World Championships.
"This will be the biggest competition of all my endeavours.
"I have been training at Woy Woy and several other Sydney clubs before work as well as being involved in the Australian Sports Commission - Education Department Active After School Program on the Central Coast.
"I work six nights a week as a DJ until early hours to fund my expenses.
"I was unfortunate to suffer a shoulder injury in January, but now I'm feeling 100 per cent and looking forward to the National Titles first and foremost, then the Grand Prix," Simmons said.
Daniel will attend a two-day training camp at the Miami venue at the completion of the competition and will train with World Elite Judokas.
He will then move onto Glenville, New York, where he will spend two months training under four-time Olympian and Olympic silver medallist Jason Morris at the US Olympic Training Centre - JMJC.
While there, he will train three times a day at both judo and the gym.
Woy Woy Judo Club chief instructor Danny Simmons said he was proud of his students making the National Competition and his son Daniel being selected as part of the Australian Team to Miami.
"These competitions are personal journeys to put into practice what you have learnt.
"You can only learn by experience, then improve on your weakness.
"The Grand Prix will be a huge experience for Daniel; not having a World Ranking could see him draw the World Number One in the first round.
"He has been training hard to make this competition and whether he lasts 30 seconds or makes it through to the play off, the experience of meeting and competing with the World's best is an achievement on its own.
"We will be behind him watching the competition via the internet," said Danny.
Email, 4 Jun 2013
Lindy Simmons, Woy Woy Judo Club