By ROB LONGLEY
Toronto Sun
June 16, 2004

Judo prospect battles through disease

There are mornings Amy Cotton has trouble moving her fingers, her hips are painfully swollen and her feet ache long before they hit the floor.

On days like this, which come without warning, just rolling out of bed would be an accomplishment for some in her situation.

But Amy Cotton is a Canadian Olympian and aims higher. Yes, her at-times debilitating disease, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, is a daily hindrance in her life. It cannot weaken her dream, however.

INSPIRATION

The 24-year-old from Judique, N.S., a tiny town on Cape Breton Island, will represent Canada in judo at the Athens Olympics, competing in the 78-kilogram class.

It has made her an inspiration for the thousands of children who suffer from the disease, not to mention her fellow judokas, who see what she must go through daily.

"Sometimes when I wake up in the morning, if I'm stiff and sore, I wonder how I'm going to get through the day," Cotton said in a phone interview from Italy where she had been preparing for the Athens Games.

"But this has become a routine for me in my life. It may take me longer to get out of bed, but I'm still going to get up and train.

"I know I'm going to be sore. But to be able to go to the Olympics, is it not worth it?"

One hour later, after a scalding shower to help loosen her joints, Cotton heads to the gym. Judo has become the dictator in her life, not JRA, a painful arthritic condition that often afflicts children and causes tenderness and swelling in the joints.

"I know it's there in my life, but I'm not going to let this disease take over more of my life than what it is," Cotton said. "I'm not going to let it get in the way of my goals."

Cotton had the Olympic dream long before she was first diagnosed with JRA seven years ago at a time when she was starting to make her mark in the sport.

Like many children, she started going to a judo club as an after-school activity. A liking for the sport led to a love and by the time she was a teenager, Cotton was competing in national events.

"I was probably nine or 10 when I first dreamed of being in the Olympics," said Cotton, who now calls Varennes, Que. home. "Everything started falling into place when I started going to nationals and saw the competitive side.

"It's such a thrill to actually be going to the Games. Nobody would ever think that could happen to somebody from a small town in Cape Breton."

Indeed, there was a time when some thought it wouldn't happen. At 17, Cotton started getting sick. There was fluid in her lungs and she had an enlarged liver and swollen joints. When she learned she had JRA, no one went so far as to suggest her Olympic hopes were dead.

IMPRESSED DOCTORS

There was, however, advice from doctors and family to take it easy and perhaps re-evaluate her goals.

"They tried, but I said, 'get me out of this hospital, I've got nationals in two weeks,' " Cotton said with a laugh.

Sure enough, she soon was back at it. That Cotton has progressed to the elite level of her sport has impressed her friends and family as well as doctors familiar with her condition.

"It's clear that kids with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis often have significant limitations on their activities," said Dr. Rayfel Schneider, the head of rheumatology at the Toronto Hospital for Sick Children. "With swollen, painful joints, they are often unable to even do everyday things.

"For someone to have this type of arthritis and reach the competitive level she has is a remarkable achievement."

In this her first Games, Cotton won't be seen as a serious medal threat -- in fact, she admits a top-12 placing would be a nice Olympic debut. She also believes it's just the beginning.

"I want to arrive there with no injuries and I'd love to be in the top 12," said Cotton, who earned a bronze medal last year at the Pan Am Games. "Once I reach that, I'll go for a medal. There is such a high calibre of women in judo right now. That's why I'm (in Europe) training with some of them so I'll be better accustomed when the Olympics come.

LISTENS TO BODY

"But I hope to go back in 2008. It's not just a one-shot thing."

One of the keys for Cotton as Athens approaches will be to attempt to remain on an even keel. She listens to her body more than ever now and picks her spots for exertion outside of her sport.

"I'll try to keep the stress and fatigue down," Cotton said. "It tends to bring up my arthritis and the inflammation in my joints. Medication helps keep it under control, but the big thing is my mind. I have a good head on my shoulders."

The great variable, may be out of her control. Because the most severe symptoms of JRA can come and go inexplicably, there is little to prevent one of her worst days coming on the day of her biggest competition.

"One of the difficulties to accept with a chronic condition is that it waxes and wanes in its severity and the symptoms which go along with it," Schneider said. "It's hard to feel good and active and to be able to accomplish things at one time then be limited at another time."

The positive mind-set that has allowed her to get this far keeps Cotton from dwelling on the negative. Instead, she will focus on representing her country and inspiring thousands of young Canadians.

"It's quite fantastic to say the least,' said Dr. Ciaran Duffy, the director of the division of pediatric rheumatology at Montreal Children's Hospital. "To have a disease that affects the large joints like that and to move on and become an Olympic athlete is phenomenal.

"She'll be a fantastic role model. We're always looking for people who have been highly successful in the sporting world to showcase what's possible for children who suffer from this disease."

AMY COTTON

• Age: 24
• Home: Judique, N.S., currently lives in Varennes, Quebec.
• Top accomplishments: Silver in 2003 Swedish and Finland Opens, Bronze in 2003 PanAm Games; Gold, 2003 Rendez-Vous Canada; three time Canadian junior national champion.
• Event: Women's 78-Kg class.
• Is training this week in Paris, France and will return home June 22. Will attend another training camp in Kelowna next month before going to Europe and ultimately Athens on Aug. 1.