Inspire a generation.

That’s the official slogan of London’s Summer Olympic Games.

And it’s what Kayla Harrison has done by becoming America’s first Olympic champion in judo.

The Middletown native has had nearly 10 days to reflect since beating Great Britain’s Gemma Gibbons for the 78-kilogram (172-pound) gold medal in ExCeL Arena.

“To be able to say I’m a strong, confident young woman and Olympic champion is amazing,” Harrison said during a Team USA press conference Saturday, the second-to-last day of the Games. “And I hope that we have a million little girls who are inspired right now.”

Harrison, 22, evidently has inspired more than little girls.

Friday, she received the U.S. Olympic Committee’s first Inspiration Award.

As part of the honor, Harrison will present her mentor and coach James “Big Jim” Pedro Sr. with a 14-karat commemorative Olympic ring in thanks for inspiring her Olympic journey. Pedro is a Team USA assistant coach — to his son, Jimmy Pedro.

“No matter how many times I’ve lost, given up or felt like my world was over, he (Pedro Sr.) stood by me and pushed me to be the best possible version of myself,” Harrison wrote in her inspiration story submission. “He made me a strong, confident woman — on and off the mat. For that I am forever grateful.”

Harrison has trained under the Pedros in Wakefield, Mass., since she was 16.

That came after she survived three years of sexual abuse from her coach in Ohio.

She testified against Daniel Doyle, who pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Now, Harrison aims to use her story — good and bad — to help others.

“The best thing I can really say is that I want to help inspire kids and I want to be what the Pedros were for me to someone else,” she said Saturday. “Any way that I can change a kid’s life for the positive, whether it be through judo — someone who wants to be an Olympic champion — or whether it’s for a kid who’s struggling with something. Any way I can help, I will.”

Inspiring and helping kids is only part of Harrison’s agenda.

She wants to become a firefighter, like Jimmy Pedro Sr. She wants to go to college. And she’s thinking about the possibility of more Olympic gold.

“It’s definitely a possibility,” Harrison said becoming a firefighter. She’s on a “top candidate” list for hiring in Marblehead, Mass., near Wakefield. “Once everything settles down, I’ll go finish, take my test. Hopefully I’ll get an interview.”

With a laugh, she added: “I think I should be good at (interviews) by now.”

College also is possible, likely in the Boston area.

“I can’t wait. I would love to just go to school, be normal for a bit and see if I’m good at anything else,” she said. ” … I feel like ‘education-deprived,’ I haven’t been to school in so long.”

There have been hints that retirement could be in the offing after the Olympics.

Blame it on Rio, but Harrison isn’t ready to decide yet.

“That’s kind of the question of the hour. I’m just trying to soak this up and enjoy every second of it. I had a blast the whole time,” she said. “But obviously this is a feeling that I am going to remember for the rest of my life. And I don’t know if I can walk away from it when I could have a chance to do it again.”

That chance would come in 2016 at Rio de Janeiro.

Upon winning in London, Harrison’s Twitter account exploded. Nick Lachey, Samuel L. Jackson, the Boston Celtics and the Boston Fire Department all sent congratulations, along with fans, friends and teammates.

She had her picture taken (or was it the other way around?) with Celtics Coach Doc Rivers.

The coolest thing since winning?

“Oh, wow!” Harrison said. “Chuck Norris wrote an article about me. I was like, ‘wow, that’s Chuck Norris — talking about me!’”

She describes her Olympic experience as “great.” She attended Team USA’s gold-medal women’s soccer victory over Japan and saw Jordan Burroughs strike gold in freestyle wrestling. She walked in the opening ceremonies, and plans to attend Sunday’s closing. And, of course, she’ll go home with a gold medal.

Although she lives and trains in the Boston area now, she’s looking forward to getting back to Middletown.

“The sooner, the better,” she said. “Right now it’s been crazy. Whirlwind tours. I think we have trips to New York, L.A., a lot of things planned.

“I fly home Boston on Monday, and then after that I would really love to get home to Middletown and see my family, see everybody who supported me throughout the years. So the sooner the better. But I don’t have an official date yet.”

Soon, though.