Shaw is a world-class competitor in a sport where the rewards may not make her wealthy.
“Obviously there’s football, Formula One… but I can’t think of many more sports where it is a case of ‘you’ve hit the top level and now you’re financially settled’,” she said.
Shaw is given what is called an ‘Athlete Performance Award’ (APA), a financial grant from UK Sport and the National Lottery that contributes towards her living and training costs.
There are different grades of support, external that athletes receive, depending on their results and prospect of medal-winning performances.
Shaw told BBC Sport that it was “very common” for athletes in sports like judo to have another source of income.
“The money I get [APA] covers my living expenses, which is a blessing and not to be taken for granted,” she said.
“But, for example, the next competition I’ve paid for myself because it wasn’t funded by British Judo.
“Going to Peru [for the Grand Prix] has cost me quite a bit of money and then I’m not really getting that back from anywhere else.
“I’m also a normal person! Like, I want to save for a house.”
Athletes can also earn money through sponsorships, something Shaw says would be a “game-changer” for an athlete at the present stage of her career.
“It just means you can take every single opportunity… put it towards competitions that I don’t get funded.”
Shaw also decided to set up a GoFundMe page at the start of the year, which she sees as a way of helping to fund her dream of going to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.