Episode 26: How a Midwife Learned to Stay Calm Under Pressure (And Became a Padel Pro)

<p>How do you stay calm when the pressure is at its highest?</p><p><br /></p><p>Before becoming one of Japan’s leading professional padel players, <strong>Kotomi Ozawa</strong> worked as a nurse and midwife in Tokyo, helping mothers and families through some of life’s most intense moments.</p><p><br /></p><p>That experience taught her something she still carries onto the padel court today: how to stay present, make decisions under pressure, and bring calm to the people around her.</p><p><br /></p><p>In this episode of Padel with Bryant, Kotomi shares how she went from working hospital shifts to becoming a two-time All Japan Padel Champion and representing Japan on the international stage.</p><p><br /></p><p>We explore how she discovered padel while studying at university, balanced two demanding careers, and eventually left a profession she loved to pursue a dream that had no clear pathway.</p><p><br /></p><p>Kotomi also opens up about competing at the Asian Games on home soil with her 92-year-old grandmother watching, learning to communicate with partners from different cultures, and her mission to create opportunities for the next generation of players across Asia.</p><p><br /></p><p>This conversation is about more than padel. It’s about learning to stay calm under pressure, finding the courage to pursue a different path, and using your gifts to serve something bigger than yourself.</p><p><br /></p><p><strong>🔥 Master Your Game &amp; Join the Academy</strong><br />Stop guessing what to work on next. Inside Padelbryant Academy, get access to the 30 Day Beginner Mastery Course, match analysis, live Q&amp; coaching, and a global community of players improving with purpose.</p><p><br />👉 Join Padelbryant Academy: <a href="https://www.skool.com/padelbryant" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.skool.com/padelbryant</a></p><p><br /></p><p><strong>Main Topics Covered</strong></p><ul><li>How working as a nurse and midwife taught Kotomi to stay calm under pressure</li><li>Lessons from the delivery room that translate directly to competitive padel</li><li>Discovering padel while studying at Keio University</li><li>Balancing hospital shifts with professional padel competition</li><li>Leaving a career she loved to pursue an uncertain dream</li><li>Learning from Spain’s padel culture and community</li><li>Creating opportunities for the next generation of Japanese and Asian players</li><li>How to communicate with different padel partners under pr