MEDALS & ULLA
They were only 18 months apart but Ulla was very much the big sister. She was protective of her little brother but frustrated that he never defended himself against bullies. Even as the eldest child she was still too young for the karate classes advertised in the local paper. Her mum, Else, encouraged her to sign up for judo instead, where the teachers were happy to take on younger kids. Peter started classes too and his confidence immediately grew. At 10 years old Ulla could already see that these were important years for her brother. In spite of the awkwardness of judo and the poses that Ulla says ‘look silly’, it gave her and Peter self assurance. This continued to grow as Ulla won more and more of the competitions she entered. She says it’s very clear that judo has had an influence on her larger life, teaching her perseverance and stamina. This helped when she moved to London and began working as an illustrator. And it’s helped in her creative process too, trusting that an idea will come but being patient until it does. It’s not easy to know if modesty is consciously fostered as part of judo or whether this has always been a characteristic of Ulla’s. Either way, it’s clearly there – this tangle of medals live at the back of a cupboard, wrapped into an old plastic bag and tucked behind a box of washing powder.
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