Lee County judo star takes next step with Team USA

FORT MYERS, Fla. - At 14 years old, Lily Infantado is preparing to represent the United States against some of the best young judo athletes in the world.

Infantado, who trains at Chief Pride Judo Club in Fort Myers, is the youngest member of the U.S. team headed to the Cadet World Championships in Guayaquil, Ecuador. She will compete in the 44-kilogram division when competition begins Aug. 20.

“It sounds like something, like, oh, my gosh, I can't believe it. It's really shocking,” Infantado said. “But, again, I am grateful for this opportunity to be able to compete at this level.”

Infantado has trained at Chief Pride for six years. Earlier this year, she won bronze at the Cadet Pan-American Championships in Ecuador before earning her spot on the World Team at the Junior Olympics in June.

Her mother, Maria Infantado, said reaching this level once seemed almost unimaginable.

“Cadet Worlds, it's something that we didn't even think she would ever get,” Maria Infantado said. “And to get this far is like, I'm really proud of what she's doing.”

Chief Pride Sensei Danny Rodriguez has coached Lily since she first entered the dojo. He credits her intensity, willingness to learn and desire to improve for helping her reach the international level.

Rodriguez said Lily is also part of a larger group of successful young athletes coming out of the Fort Myers program. Five more Chief Pride judokas, Maribelle Deaver, Abby Tavarez, Emma Tavarez, Adrian Infantado and Davi Daouly, have qualified to compete at the U13/U15 Pan-American Championships in Mexico this November.

“We're a little small dojo in Fort Myers,” Rodriguez said. “Basically, competing with the best dojos in the country.”

Rodriguez said that success is intentional.

“I go in with the intention to create champions,” he said.

For Lily, making the World Team is another step toward an even larger goal.

“I'll be very happy if I even qualify for the Olympics, but the main goal is to at least medal in the Olympics or get a gold,” she said. “And then after that, I would like to become a coach.”

The Cadet World Championships run Aug. 20-23 in Guayaquil.