Women in sport: Rachelsy Hodge. Four-time French karate champion
At just 13 years old, Rachelsy Hodge already has an impressive track record. A member of Caribbean Oyama Karate, the young girl has won four consecutive French championship titles. Having first been crowned champion in the junior category in 2023, she is now the only athlete in her category to have achieved this feat. Next year, she will move up to the cadet category with a new goal: to defend her title.
The first portrait in a series dedicated to female athletes from Saint Martin, produced as part of the initiatives to promote women’s sport led by the Territorial Olympic Committee of Saint Barthélemy and Saint Martin (CTOS SBSM), Rachelsy Hodge perfectly embodies this new generation of athletes who are pushing the boundaries… and in her case, she has been doing so from a very young age. It was, in fact, when she was very young that she discovered combat sports on television, particularly boxing. She was captivated by the mixed martial arts star Ronda Rousey and became passionate about MMA competitions. She wanted to do the same! She asked her father if she could ‘do karate’; he gave her a year to think it over properly, but she didn’t change her mind – she wanted to live out her dream.
A way of life
Since the age of four, she has been training with exemplary regularity. Two sessions a week all year round, plus – as competitions approach – two extra training sessions, boxing sessions to build muscle, running to improve her stamina and… a small sacrifice: giving up the sweets she loves so much. “I don’t really change my habits; short half-hour naps are enough for me to recover when I need to, but I cut out sweets before competitions,” she says with a smile. Rachelsy already knows exactly how to balance her schoolwork and training, as her other goal is to excel in both areas… and she’s off to a good start, having been awarded the distinction of excellence this year in Year 9 at Soualiga Secondary School.
She thus manages to balance her studies and sport, and even finds time, like all young girls, to spend a few moments on her phone, before heading off to her training sessions and doing her homework when she gets home just before going to bed.
By her own admission, she recognises that, in her day-to-day life, sport has brought her far more than just medals. It has taught her respect for others but also for herself, discipline, perseverance and self-confidence. These are qualities she also credits to her coach, Thierry Saint-Auret, whose advice and support she particularly values.
Showing that girls have their place
For Rachelsy, being a girl in a combat sport has never been an issue. “In karate, technique is more important than strength. Girls have every right to be there.” Her fourth French championship title remains, to this day, her greatest source of pride. It is a reward for years of hard work and training, but also for her ability to stay motivated despite the demands of competition. Her next challenge is already set: to earn her brown belt – the penultimate rank before the black belt – and then to continue adding to her national honours list.
Later on, Rachelsy would like to become a teacher. It’s a plan she’s still thinking through, although one thing is already certain: she loves children. In the meantime, she encourages all young girls to believe in themselves, never give up and dare to pursue their dreams. For Rachelsy, hard work, discipline and perseverance are the keys to success. These are values she demonstrated right from the start of our meeting. To prepare for her interview, she got up… at 4 am. At just 13, this champion already has the habits of the very best!
