With a smile on her face, Azra Dedic climbed up the highest podium when the medals for the European ID-Judo (special needs competition) Championship was handed out on Saturday. Bosnians were overjoyed.

”It was great to fight, the fighting speaks for itself. I showed what I can do and it made me the champion in Europe, ” she told N1 on Tuesday.

The 25-year-old member of the ‘Una’ Judo Club overshadowed the competition at the ID-Judo European Championships for the under 70 kg category in Cologne, Germany.

But this is not Dedic’s first success. Last year, she took bronze at the world championship.

She spoke about the way she felt when she arrived back home.

”It is emotional when someone welcomes you with happiness,” she said, adding that she herself is “always happy, a happy child.”

“My brother prepared a phenomenal welcome for me at home, it touched my heart and I want to thank him for it,” she added.

Her coach, Fikret Becic, told N1 that Dedic worked hard to achieve what she did.

”Azra has been training Judo for 12 years and this (success) is no accident,” he said. “She has been competing since 2009, we compete in tournaments, she has won a number of medals,” he added.

The Judo master was the first person with Down syndrome to be employed in the country. She works at the ‘Cosmetic Markets’ store in Bihac.