Silver lining to a tough year for ‘amazing’ Leat
ADRIAN LEAT hasn’t had too many good days lately.
So when the 26-year-old judoka won silver at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, his mates made sure it was a night to remember.
Only hours after Leat, a trained architect from the North Shore, became New Zealand’s seventh Games medallist and one of three to win a medal on the judo mat, his mates put on a champagnefilled stretch Hummer to explore Glasgow in.
‘‘It’s going to be a very, very big night,’’ one of his friends promised. And he deserves it. It’s been a horrific five months for Leat. His older brother, friend and training partner Alister committed suicide in Bulgaria in February. Leat seriously contemplated giving the sport and his Games’ dream away.
‘‘It was our goal, our dream to come to the Games,’’ he said.
‘‘Hopefully he’s up there somewhere looking down and smiling.’’
Leat had half a dozen rowdy mates in the crowd in Glasgow and a proud girlfriend.
They knew he hadn’t only won a silver and finished second out of a field of 25 athletes, but had fought demons bigger than most ever need to just to get to the judo mat.
Leat admitted a number of times during the competition he had been forced to fight back tears as he thought of his brother, what the Games would have meant to him and what winning a medal would mean.
With a new tattoo – in Latin – across his chest which translates to ‘‘this is one of only two brothers’’, Leat proudly represented his brother, his family and New Zealand.
Sadly his parents were unable to attend and see their son fight for New Zealand first judo gold in 24 years.
Having to stump up with $30,000 to bring Alister’s body home from Silver lining: England’s Danny Williams lets loose with a primal victory roar after beating Adrian Leat, inset, in the final. But after a devastating year Leat was more than happy with his silver medal.
It was our goal, our dream to come to the Games. Hopefully he’s up there somewhere looking down and smiling. Adrian Leat on his older brother
Bulgaria, the Leats were unable to join their sons’ friends in Scotland.
‘‘I stopped working about six months ago to focus on this and I’ve been making my parents a bit poor thanks to their brilliant support,’’ Leat said.
Leat’s friends looked happier than some medal winners.
‘‘It was awesome to see him do so well through the whole day,’’ Auckland’s Raana Peakman said.
‘‘He’s my biggest idol, what he’s been through and to come out like this,’’ Ben Dallow added.
‘‘It’s an indication to just how strong ‘Ando’ is, I mean, he’s amazing,’’ Cam Larnder said.
While his loss to England Olympian Danny Williams in the final was frustrating, Leat was quick to find the positive. And that’s his way now; latch on to those positive with everything he has.
With confidence brimming, Leat already has half an eye towards the Rio Olympics.
Judo is likely to receive a funding boost which would only help judoka like Leat. But that’s in the future. He deserves to spend time in the now; hence the Hummer. He took a few precious seconds to reflect on exactly what his silver medal means yesterday post-final.
Sure it’s a confidence boost towards having a crack at Rio and it’s just reward for years of sacrifice, but it’s more.
It’s also a symbol. A sign that what he and Alister started 20 years ago counts for something. A silver won’t change the grief that Leat, his friends and family still battle everyday, but it will be a constant reminder of a journey started by two and finished by one.