Judo Ontario received with great sadness the news of Christophe Preobrazenski passing on July 26th.
Throughout his remarkable life, Christophe achieved significant milestones both in the realm of Judo and as a distinguished criminal defense attorney in Toronto.
During his early years in Judo, Christophe practiced at a community club called Neri Judo (Club) that had been founded at St. Philip Neri Church by some of the priests there as well as the late Sensei Vito Maselli (among others). He eventually moved to the University of Toronto Judo Club at Hart House with Goki Uemura. Notably, he was one of the first athletes from Ontario to relocate to Montreal for training with the National Team, under the guidance of Sensei Nakamura.
Christophe's strong work ethic in Judo led him to become a Canadian Heavyweight Champion and to win 2 Bronze Medals at the 1975 Pan-Am Games in Mexico City: one in -93 kg and the other in Open Weight.
He eventually took on the roles of Dojo Shu and head coach at the University of Toronto Judo Club at Hart House, where he mentored numerous provincial and national level athletes. In addition to his dojo coaching role, Christophe served as a Judo Ontario Provincial Coach and was an active member of the Judo Ontario Board exemplifying his commitment to Judo.
Notably, he played a pivotal role in shaping Andrzej Sadej's journey in Canadian judo and was a driving force in advocating for what is now known as the Federal Athlete Assistance Program.
Beyond his contributions to Judo, Christophe's legal career as a criminal defense attorney spanned over 35 years, leaving a lasting impact on the legal community, and positively affecting the lives of countless clients he represented.
May Christophe Preobrazenski forever be remembered by the indelible impact he had on those he coached, mentored, and defended. Judo Ontario extends our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and all those whose lives were touched by him.