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Crystal Wise
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Crystal Wise
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Crystal Wise
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Crystal Wise
It's hard to imagine Nikki Kubes, a beautiful, tall blonde — lithe yet solid — growing to the 170-plus pounds necessary to compete in the heavy-weight division of judo. "It's not exactly the dream of every young girl to lift weights every day and choke down creatine to bulk up,” the former Olympian and current Fort Worth police officer jokes. “But in judo, every pound matters."
Despite having a last name associated with a premium jeweler (yes, Nikki is part of that same Kubes family), Nikki avoided the normal fixation on fashion trends or getting weekly manicures and, instead, spent the majority of her adolescence training for the Olympics — a goal that requires a work ethic and commitment seldom seen adults, much less kids.
It was Nikki’s father, Joe Kubes, who introduced her and her sister, Brigette, to judo when Nikki was only 7. “My father was in law enforcement for 30 years,” Kubes says. “He had two daughters, so he wanted us to know how to protect ourselves.” The girls started attending the Fort Worth Judo Club, where both Brigette and Nikki met prolific champion and coach Tommy Dyer. Dyer, an alternate for the Olympics himself, shared his connections and resources with the two Kubes girls and even sent the pair to Japan for training.
But if you're worried such devotion caused Nikki to miss out on defining adolescent milestones, think again. "I took a year off to be a normal teen, and I was miserable," Nikki laughs. "Everything felt pointless."
Following this short-lived break, Nikki, at the age of 17, made the 2004 Olympic team and was one of the youngest competitors hitting the mats in the host nation of Greece — barely eked out by Ronda Rousey, who was the youngest judo Olympian and Kubes’ roommate. The two remain friends to this day, by the way. “I didn't really understand what I was getting involved in or the extent of my capabilities," Kubes says. "I just knew I loved the sport." At the end of the competition, Kubes finished ninth. And while she didn’t bring home any hardware, Nikki did depart with some impressive new stats. "I had the fastest throw of the entire Olympics," Nikki says about the grappling technique that involves throwing an opponent to the ground. "It was a powerful feeling."
Nikki would continue training under Dyers while attending TCU, but a knee injury would sideline her from competing in the sport for good. Following the misfortune, Kubes followed in her father’s footsteps and joined the Fort Worth Police Department, where she now serves as a detective. And while her judo skills do, in fact, come in handy, it’s not always in the way you’d expect.
Through the police department’s Police Athlete League (PAL) program, an athletic league sponsored by the FWPD that teaches children self-defense and self-empowerment, Nikki supports burgeoning judokas. Nikki hopes this will enforce resilience among the children, another common thread between her and her father.
"Nobody can teach that," Nikki says. "All those years of [my father] sacrificing and working hard. It taught me what it takes to be successful."
Nikki’s 10 Greatest Accomplishments
1. My children Mikah Jane (4) and Westin Joseph (1)
2. Making the 2004 Olympic team
3. Fastest ippon (punch) at the 2004 Olympics
4. Resident athlete at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs
5. Won the 2006 Senior National Outstanding Female Athlete Award
6. Won the 2006 Senior National Best Technique Award
7. Graduating from TCU in 2009
8. Becoming a Commissioned Police Officer in June, 2011
9. Ranking first overall on the 2020 corporals exam
10. Adding judo to the FWPD Police Athletic League, giving sponsorships to 10 children for the 2022-23 year
