“Performance doesn't come from unhealthy sacrifices, it comes from balance”

As a member of the GO Scholarship program, she not only benefits from training support, but is part of an elite system that transforms raw talent into systemic excellence. For Alina, Jiu-Jitsu is not only a contact sport, but a continuous exercise of self-discipline and a demonstration of female strength in a field governed by rigor.

– Jiu-Jitsu is often described as physical chess. What attracted you to this sport where technique and intelligence can overcome brute force, and how did the GO Scholarship help you refine these qualities?

In Jiu-Jitsu I liked that it is not only strength that counts, but also mind, patience and the courage to find solutions when it seems difficult. For me, this sport became more than a workout, it became a life lesson, and the GO Scholarship helped me grow even more.

Alina Cojocaru: “Sports psychology and personal development sessions helped me control my emotions”

– In your sport, mobility and isometric strength are vital. How has your exercise capacity changed since following the physical training plan customized by the program's specialists?

Since following the personalized fitness plan at GO, I feel that I have become stronger and more confident. I can train better, last longer, and step on the mat feeling more prepared than ever.

– Jiu-Jitsu involves a lot of contact and many moments of discomfort. How have the mental coaching sessions at the scholarship helped you keep your cool when you're in an inferior position on the mat?

Jiu-jitsu often puts you in tough situations where you have to stay calm even when everything seems against you. Being an emotional person, for me the mental part was one of the biggest challenges. The sports psychology and personal development sessions helped me control my emotions, believe in myself more and understand that sometimes the most important battles are fought within me.

– The scale is an opponent in itself in weight class sports. How did the GO nutritionist help you reach your optimal weight without losing strength or energy?

In weight class sports, the scale can become an extra pressure. With the help of the GO nutritionist I learned to take care of my body with respect and responsibility. I understood that performance does not come from unhealthy sacrifices, but from balance, care and discipline.

Alina Cojocaru: “GO Scholarship helped me to have even more confidence in myself”

– You practice a contact sport considered hard. What reactions do you get from your schoolmates and how does the GO Scholarship community help you take on your role as a performance athlete?

Sometimes people are surprised when they find out that I play a contact sport, especially being a girl. But for me, this sport made me stronger, more confident and braver. GO Scholarship helped me to have even more confidence in myself.

– Jiu-jitsu training is physically and mentally exhausting. What is your secret to remaining a top student and how does discipline learned on the mat help you prepare for exams?

It's not easy to balance intense training with school, but I've learned that when you really want something, you find the strength to do both. Sports taught me discipline, organization and not to give up when it gets hard. These lessons help me every day and at school, especially during difficult times.

– How much time do you devote to technical study outside the gym? Has the program taught you to look at your sport from a more analytical perspective, for example through video analysis or progress monitoring?

I give a lot of time to technical study outside the gym, because I always want to evolve. I watch matches, analyze details and try to learn from every experience. The GO program taught me to constantly monitor my progress and analyze my every mistake.

Alina Cojocaru

– Contact sports come with risks. How has your approach to recovery and recovery changed since you had access to the fellowship's medical and physical therapy staff?

In contact sports, recovery is just as important as training. Since I have access to physiotherapy and specialists, I have learned to listen to my body and take better care of myself. This helped me become more responsible and prepared for everything that follows.

Alina Cojocaru: “Sports taught me to be strong, but at the same time to remain modest and grateful for everything I have”

– Jiu-jitsu is a long journey from white belt to black belt. Where do you want this journey to take you and how do you think the GO scholarship will transform you as a person, not just as a fighter?

I want this journey to take me to the biggest competitions and the most beautiful results. I have a brown belt, I am a national champion, a Balkan champion, a European vice-champion and a bronze medalist at the World Championship, and every medal carries behind it a lot of work, tears and sacrifices. I want to continue to grow and take my name as high as possible. The GO scholarship helps me become not only a better athlete, but also a stronger person.

– Many girls hesitate to enter a martial arts gym. What would you tell them about the self-confidence this sport gives you and the support you found in the GO Scholarship?

For girls who are hesitant to enter a martial arts gym, I would tell them to be brave. Beyond techniques and competitions, this sport gives you self-confidence, discipline, respect and the strength to get back up every time you fall. I grew enormously through Ju-Jitsu, and at CS Invictus Bucharest, the club where I work, I found the place where I really started to believe in myself. In GO Scholarship I felt that I am not alone and that there are people who support me and believe in my dream.

– Who is Alina Maria Cojocaru beyond the mattress and medals?

Beyond the mattress and the results I am a simple, ambitious and sensitive girl, a 16-year-old girl who dreams big and works for her every dream. I am a disciplined, but also emotional person who puts her soul into everything she does.
Sports taught me to be strong, but at the same time to remain modest and grateful for everything I have. I love my family, the people who support me and the values ​​I grew up with.
Beyond the medals, I am a child who has learned to get up after every fall and believe in her even when the road is not easy. And if today I am where I am, it is because behind every result there is a lot of work, sacrifice and people who believed in me.

• program GO Scholarship is the partner that gives young athletes the full support they need to build a solid future beyond the field. BRD understands that excellence is not born by chance and assumes the role of providing these young people with constant support and confidence to turn the effort into reality.

• Read other stories behind the performance on BRD Locker Room.

BRD & GO Scholarship: a partnership for performance