Taylor felt rejected by the music industry, now she’s facing a different fight in Paris

Judo came into Taylor Gosens’ life at a crucial juncture.

Gosens, who has about 4 per cent vision, was a keen drummer and had dreamed of working in the music industry.

Taylor Gosens is Australia’s only judo athlete at the Paris Paralympics.Credit: Paralympics Australia

That dream was shattered when she found herself feeling unwelcome during internships.

“It’s a hard career with a disability. It’s not the kindest industry and it wasn’t as accessible as I’d hoped it would be,” she said.

“There were times I couldn’t see certain signals from the other side of the stage … When it came down to it, they focused more on what I couldn’t do, rather than help me find solutions.”

It was around this time, in 2020, that she walked into her first judo club. The initial session wasn’t pleasant.

“I didn’t know how to break fall properly and I was getting smashed up and down the mat, it hurt so much,” she said.

“I finished that first class and wasn’t sure if I was going to come back.”

But she gave it another go, and quickly fell in love with the sport.

“What kept bringing me back was the girls. They were really lovely and supportive, and never treated me differently. I never felt unwelcome or unsafe,” she said.

“It was the complete opposite to the music industry, where I wasn’t taken seriously, whereas here, I was.”

Today, the 26-year-old Queenslander is Australia’s only athlete competing in judo at the Paris Paralympics.

The sport is for athletes with a vision impairment, meaning judokas must use their sense of touch to sense and predict their rival’s next move.

They start with grips so they can place their competitor and gain points for throws, holds, armlocks and strangles.

Australia’s Paralympic judoka Taylor Gosens.Credit: Paralympics Australia

Gosens is being supported in Paris only by her coach. Her family and partner remain in Australia because despite their insistence, she refuses to let them come watch her compete.

“It’s the pressure of them watching and worrying about expectations. I’d rather stick to thinking about the fight,” she said.

An arena full of spectators is another story, she explained. “They’re strangers, I’m not too worried about what they’re thinking.”

Gosens has Paralympian blood. Her dad, Gerrard Gosens, represented Australia at three Paralympic Games in athletics and goalball. It just took a while for her to decide to pursue elite sport herself.

“I never considered doing Paralympic sport,” she said.

“It’s complicated because I had really wanted to go down the music industry way and create my own path and not feel like I was in his shadow, so I would say I was reluctant at first.”

That changed when she watched the Tokyo Games in 2021. She decided she, too, wanted to train and compete at the highest level. In 2022, she won the national title in her category.

“It’s still feeling a bit surreal [being in Paris],” she said.

Gosens hasn’t lost her love of music. In fact, it’s essential to her pre-fight ritual.

“I bring two pairs of headphones just in case one dies, so I can keep listening,” she said.

She’s already picked out a song to rev herself up before her first Paralympic fight on Saturday. A track by Palisades, aptly named Vendetta.

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