On Saturday 7 December I attended the 2024 British Judo Championships at Warwick University. The ‘Nationals’ is the main judo event of the year and attracts the best judoka from across Great Britain. I won the competition at the U12 level in both 2022 and 2023 becoming a two-time British Champion, but this year I was competing at the bottom of a new age band in the U15 category.
After beating the English #2 and the Scottish Champion in the first two rounds, I made it through to my third national final in a row where I met the Northern Ireland Champion. The contest was very close, with neither of us able to register a score in normal time. The fight therefore continued into golden score where I tried an attack which was countered by my opponent. I lost the final, taking the silver medal and securing my third consecutive national podium finish.
My route to national level has been quite a journey. I started judo aged 3 years old at Moberly Judo Club in North London, I have been doing judo now for over nine years and have only just attained my green belt. I began fighting competitively when I was 5. From the age of 6 I started entering international tournaments and I have now fought in Ireland, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Hungary and Portugal. In addition to attending around 15 competitions a year, I train 6-8 hours a week, with extra fitness sessions and training camps on top.
In October 2024, following my gold medal at the English Championships, I was invited to join the England Development Squad. I therefore now also travel once a month to the British Judo National Development Centre in Walsall where I can train with other national medallists.
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