Discipline beyond code.
Competing internationally as Julanda Bacaj, I became an eight-time Albanian national champion and represented Albania at the first Youth Olympic Games in Singapore in 2010. This shaped the discipline, consistency and patience I bring to engineering today.
Record
| Sport | Judo |
|---|---|
| Competition name | Julanda Bacaj |
| National titles | Eight-time Albanian national champion |
| Major event | Youth Olympic Games, Singapore, 2010 |
| Flag bearer | Albania, Youth Olympic Games 2010 |
| Individual category | Girls’ −63 kg |
| Individual result | 13th place |
| Team competition | Mixed-team event |
| Mixed-team result | Fifth place with the New York team |
In the individual girls’ −63 kg event, Julanda received a first-round bye, faced Turkey’s Dilara Incedayi, then competed in repechage against Mauritius’s Gaelle Nemorin, finishing 13th. She also competed in the multinational mixed-team event for the New York team, which finished fifth after a close loss to Tokyo.
Titles
Officiating and management
Lessons
Results come from showing up consistently: fundamentals repeated, small improvements, commitment when progress is not yet visible. In software: maintainable code, tested critical logic, careful reviews.
Becoming a national champion took years. Backend engineering rewards the same mindset: find the real cause of a bug, refactor safely, build foundations that let features evolve.
Small differences in balance and timing decide a match. In software a missing validation rule, an unhandled API error or a weak authorization check can have serious consequences.
Observe before reacting and choose the next action from evidence: useful in debugging, technical decisions and communication.
A loss is analysed, not ignored. A failed test, unstable integration or slow query is a chance to improve the system and the process.
Judo is built on respect for coaches, teammates, opponents and the process. Good products need the same shared responsibility.
Parallels
| On the tatami | In backend systems |
|---|---|
| Master the fundamentals | Clear APIs, consistent validation, sound data models, testable logic |
| Train consistently | Improve code quality, review changes, test critical workflows |
| Study the opponent | Understand requirements, edge cases, integration behaviour and failure modes |
| Use balance and timing | Choose the right architecture instead of adding complexity |
| Adapt during a match | Debug calmly, respond to changing requirements, improve incrementally |
| Learn after defeat | Analyse bugs and incidents to prevent recurrence |
| Respect the process | Value testing, documentation, security and collaboration |
| Think long term | Build software that stays understandable beyond the first release |
Judo taught me how to work toward difficult goals over time. Becoming a national champion and representing Albania internationally required discipline, preparation, patience and the ability to learn from both success and failure.
I bring the same approach to software engineering: calm analysis, structured thinking and attention to edge cases, tests and error handling.
Patience and precision on APIs, integrations and data. Tell me what you need.