With a Kenyan father, a Mexican mother, and raised in London, Mexico enjoys the benefits of globalization through judoka Prisca Awiti Alcaraz. Her silver medal in the -63 kg category has marked a historic achievement for her adopted country, despite not being destined for it.

Mexican judo had never reached such heights before. Not even with the legendary Vanessa Zambotti, who competed in four consecutive Games in the +78 kg category without ever finishing among the top eight (Athens 2004, Beijing 2008, London 2012, and Rio 2016).

From the tatami at the Champ de Mars, just a short distance from the Eiffel Tower, the London-born judoka is aware that she got there because of the not-so-obvious decisions she made.

Born in London in 1996, Awiti Alcaraz didn’t have a love-at-first-sight relationship with Mexico. She recounted this herself in 2020: "My weight category was very competitive in the UK, I was very stressed, close to giving up. Then my coach asked if I could get a Mexican passport."

The Londoner then called the Mexican Judo Federation and completed the paperwork in three months. The adaptation process was not a bed of roses. "My Spanish wasn’t very good and I had a language barrier, it was very frustrating, especially with my coach," she stated.

Since 2017, when she was 21, she started internationally representing the Mexican colors, a country where she has spent long periods.

Judo wasn’t love at first sight either. Awiti Alcaraz’s brother, Philip, practiced it, but she was more interested in gymnastics, in which she competed with the UK under-12 team.

"My older brother, who was a high-level judoka winning medals at Grand Slam events and competing in World Championships, was a huge inspiration. I grew up seeing him as my idol and wanted to achieve what he did or even more," she said in a recent statement to the Mexican government.

Breaking Machismo in Mexico

Before her unexpected success on the Parisian tatami, the Mexico-British athlete debuted at the Tokyo Games, finishing in 17th place after losing to Mongolia's Gankhaich Bold. Her resume was already adorned with other good results for her adopted country.

She won the Pan American Open in Santiago (2019); two golds at the Pan American Championships in Santo Domingo and Lima (2022); and another gold medal at the Lima Open (2023). She finished fifth in the 2023 world ranking (currently ranked eighteenth).

Her favorite move is the Seoi-Otoshi projection, and she is currently coached by Jorge Luis Atencio Ramírez, after being under the guidance of Cuban Olympic medalist Daima Beltrán (silver in Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004 in the +78 kg category).

But Awiti Alcaraz’s achievement goes beyond the tatami. She wants to pave the way for other Mexican women.

"We can be warriors, strong. Mexico is traditionally a country where women stay at home. My parents' friends still have that culture, but now we see some men cooking and sharing responsibilities. The culture is slowly becoming more egalitarian," she told the International Judo Federation.