Joanne van Lieshout’s rise goes beyond medals

Joanne van Lieshout has already collected major titles, but one of her most meaningful wins happened away from the tatami. The Dutch judoka was diagnosed with diabetes at 13. A decade later, she stands as world champion and European champion, turning a difficult moment into part of an exceptional journey.

Van Lieshout entered judo at the age of five, following her parents and older brother into the sport. She quickly found a passion that would shape her life. Then came the diagnosis, a heavy shock for a teenager and her family, but not a reason to step away from her ambitions.

While she was in hospital, nurses gave her a list of Dutch elite athletes living with diabetes. That simple gesture seems to have changed the way she looked at the future. Instead of seeing a closed door, she saw proof that high performance was still possible and that she needed to find her own method.

Some victories never appear on a scoreboard, but they change everything.

Today, van Lieshout treats diabetes as another element to manage in elite sport, alongside nutrition and sleep. She knows perfect balance is not realistic every day, because the body can react in unpredictable ways. Even so, her approach is calm, disciplined and clearly effective.

The results underline that. The 23-year-old won her first European title in Tbilisi in the -63 kg category and is also the 2024 world champion. She is currently ranked world No. 2, making her one of Europe’s strongest names in the division.

Her connection with judo also says a lot about her mindset. She speaks about the sport as a mix of technique, strength, strategy and respect, with every contest bringing a new problem to solve. Looking ahead, her focus remains on development: improving technically, becoming stronger physically and tactically, and still enjoying the process that brought her this far.

The Dutch champion keeps building, not just winning.

Source: EJU.net

Image source: EJU / European Judo Union