Help Westfield Olympian Reach 2020 Tokyo Contest

WESTFIELD, NJ - Westfield native Nick Delpopolo is currently competing in the Judo World Championship in Tokyo, Japan and with hard work and a little community support he is hoping to return for the 2020 Summer Olympics.

Delpopolo is a two-time Olympian who is looking for help getting to Olympic Qualifying events in order to make his third Olympic team. Judo athletes have a world tour with a points structure similar to tennis where athletes must attend various tournaments around the world, with points given for winning matches and medals. In June of 2020 the top 18 athletes from different countries with the most points qualify for the Olympics.

Delpopolo recently returned from the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru, returning to New Jersey with a bronze medal in the men’s middleweight division.

"It was great, being at a games means you march in opening and closing ceremonies, you go through 'processing' where you receive Team USA apparel, you stay in an athlete village and there is tons of media surrounding the event," he Delpopolo told Patch. "I have been the best athlete in the United States in my category for over a decade so I was the veteran of the team and I had a great time bonding with the young guys and watching them experience their first 'games' atmosphere was fun for me. I soaked it in and enjoyed my time in Lima."

Delpopolo was adopted at 18-months-old from an orphanage in Niksic, Montenegro by Dominick and Joyce Delpopolo and relocated to Westfield.

"I spent the first part of my life living and training out of Westfield, Cranford," he said. "I have been training since I was five-year- old. I walked into Cranford Judo and Karate Center and straight into the arms of two-time Olympic Coach Yoshisada 'Yone' Yonezuka. I knew what the Olympics were right away because Yone had produced some of the best Olympians in our sport so I was constantly seeing Olympians walk through the door."

Delpopolo competed at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics where he finished seventh both times. He wound up at Pan Am Games originally by being the #1 ranked athlete in the United States, but he was diagnosed with a tear in his abdomen at the Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games and was forced to withdraw from the event. This summer his return was his first time competing at the Pan American Games.

Delpopolo is currently in Japan, competing until Aug. 27.

"This is my tenth World Championships which is a U.S. record," he said. "I’m excited to compete in Japan as it is the birthplace of Judo and there will be tens of thousands of fans in attendance which always adds excitement to the air."

While Delpopolo is working to get back to the Olympics through competition, family friend Donna Vallario has started a GoFundMe page to help finance his quest.

"Nick does not receive any funding or financial support from USA Judo, the sports National Governing Body and must pay out of pocket to attend these important Olympic qualifying tournaments," Vallario said. "Each tournaments expenses include airfare, hotel, meals, training camp and all the incidentals that come with international travel. Each individual event costs around $3,000 to attend and in order to qualify he must attend at least 12 events a year."

Vallario noted that Nick and his sister went to McKinley Elementary School, followed by Edison Middle School. He placed 1st in the NJ Wrestling State Championships for Westfield PAL Wrestling program in elementary school.

"The Delpopolos have deep rooted seeds in the Westfield and Cranford community, his mother has been a volunteer in Westfield and is a retired Cranford teacher, his sister, Helen has raised thousands of dollars for others in need through GoFundMe," Vallario said. "She currently co-runs an Irrigation business out of Westfield, as well as being the youngest and first female president of the United Sates Sumo Federation. The Delpopolos have been helping support Nick financially for his dreams of becoming the first ever USA Male Olympic Champ in Judo. He trains seven days a week multiple times a day. During his limited free time, he volunteers, teaching kids judo and speaking in schools on and off the mat."

The GoFundMe site currently has almost $2,000 toward the $30,000 goal.

Patch is a GoFundMe promotional partner.

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