Sarah Menezes was only nine years old when she was introduced to judo, after the sport was added to her school’s curriculum. “It all started just for fun,” she said. Little could the youngster from the north east of Brazil have known at the time that, 13 years later, thanks to this “fun”, she would become her nation’s first female Olympic judo champion, at the London 2012 Games.

“I watched a judo display at my school, as they were about to start giving lessons to the pupils,” Menezes said. “I remember that I liked it right away and immediately joined the first group. It all started just for fun, but soon I started to train at a club and, that same year, I competed in the state championships.”

Menezes, now 24, was recalling her entry into judo on Saturday at a military school in the north of Rio de Janeiro, during an event for ‘young agents’ – an initiative of the Rio 2016 Education Department in partnership with the City of Rio’s public schools.

Menezes throws 'Dirty Play', a character created to communicate the importance of the Olympic and Paralympic values (Rio 2016 / Alex Ferro)

In front of the attentive ‘young agents’ – students responsible for disseminating the Olympic and Paralympic values in schools – Menezes told her story: a tale full of optimism, determination and the ability to overcome challenges.

“My parents wanted me to stay focused on studying and I had to promise them that I would manage to do both things properly. I made a lot of sacrifices, because it wasn’t easy, and it still isn’t,” she said.

“I would leave school, go to the gym, then go home and do my homework, and after that go to judo training. I did this every day. It was what I wanted but my coach also keep me motivated. He never let me give up, even though I thought about it a few times,” said Menezes, who went on to talk about the importance of promoting sport in schools.

“Sport does more than just provide physical exercise, it helps children become good citizens, it teaches honesty, respect and leads to dedication both inside and outside of the classroom. Even if kids don’t become professional athletes, they can learn life is made of sacrifices, choices and that we have to fight to achieve what we want.”

Menezes is now focused on the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, where she intends to repeat her success from London, where she defeated reigning champion Alina Dumitru of Romania to claim the -48kg title. “I’m training a lot and competing in various international events in order to be prepared and improve all the time,” she said.

Along with her busy judo schedule, Menezes is also trying to find time to complete her degree in physical education, which she started in 2008. “It’s not easy, but I am confident I will get there,” she said, with typical determination.

A game with giant balls helps introduce the pupils to the Olympic and Paralympic values, such as friendship and inspiration (Rio 2016 / Alex Ferro)