British Judo Celebrates Members Achievements at Awards Evening

Saturday marked British Judo’s Awards Evening and an opportunity for the judo community to celebrate their achievements from a busy previous 12 months.

British Judo Chair, Gerry Gualtieri, opened proceedings by reflecting on his first 12 months in post and thanked the judo community for all of their support during the opening year of his term.

The first awards of the evening were for our Female and Male Cadet Athletes of the Year, which were duly awarded to Bremen International Masters Bronze medallist Kevin Gordon and three-time medalist on the tour this year, Eva Ewing.

JudoScotland’s Christopher Lambert was named British Judo’s Official of the Year following his tireless efforts and generosity within his community.

2024 has been a fantastic year for refereeing in British Judo, with British Referees flying the GB flag across World and European competition every week.

The British Judo Referee of the Year award was presented to Mike Guatieri for his passion for mentoring the next generation, which has made a lasting impact on the judo community in the Western Area and beyond.

The Adaptive Male and Female Athletes of the Year were awarded to Christopher Murphy and Georgina Grayson following inspiring years off the mat which saw Murphy competing in the ID World and European Championships, Virtus Global Games and Oceania Games, whilst Grayson has grown from a timid participant to a confident competitor, admired for her humour and energy, inspiring everyone around her.

The pair of Lewis Hannington and Jim Crompton were awarded the Kata Award by the Kata Commission following international success in February 2024 at the Meximieux International Open in France, where they won gold, becoming GB’s newest senior international kata medallists.

The Junior Male and Female Athletes of the Year were awarded to Irakli Goginashvili and Summer Shaw – both of whom are currently training out in Japan. Irakli has had a strong season, picking up Bronze at the Kaunas, Paks, and Skopje Junior European Cups, and securing silver at the Birmingham Junior European Cup, whilst Summer started her season with a bronze at the Podgorica Junior European Cup. She followed this with silver at both the Kaunas and Birmingham Junior European Cups, before finishing the year on a high note with gold at the Prague and Berlin Junior European Cups.

The British Judo Young Volunteer of the Year was awarded to Max Seely, after inspiring juniors to pursue the sport across his local area, with some even aspiring to become coaches

Zoe Locke was presented with the Volunteer of the Year award for organising social events that strengthen community bonds in her local club and encouraging family involvement. Additionally, she promotes competitions, coordinates entries, and provides support for athletes. Her warmth and dedication have made a lasting impact on the club and the community.

The Male and Female Veteran Athletes of the Year were awarded to Colin Francis and Fiona Chan. Both Fiona and Colin are flying off to Vegas for this week’s Veterans World Championships with Chan hoping to add to her European and British Veteran Championships titles this year, while Francis claimed Silver in the European Championships and was named the Team Manager for both the World and European Teams this year.

The Inclusion Award winner was presented to United Judo for for their outstanding commitment to inclusivity. United Judo’s dedication to inclusivity extends to dedicated sessions for children with Special Educational Needs and a popular women’s class that includes visually impaired members, all within a supportive environment.

The Kano Way award signifies a person, or group, who has contributed greatly to the development of judo, exemplifying the judo values described by judo founder, Jigaro Kano.

The Kano Way award winner for 2024 was Wayne Dyer – a dedicated Judoka for 57 years, coaching children and adults for 37 years, from grassroots to British International levels. After nearly stepping back during the COVID-19 pandemic, Wayne began training a small group of adaptive players, including his daughter. He recently took six of these youngsters to the EJU get-together, where they all medalled, with four competing for the first time.

Emma Reid, Michael Fryer and Rhys Thompson were named Senior Male and Female Athletes of the year following outstanding years for the trio. Reid’s consistent performances on the World Tour this year, included three 3rd place finishes in less than three weeks, with the final one coming from the World Championships in Abu Dhabi and saw her secure a spot at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

It was a tough decision for the Performance team to make, with Fryer and Thompson named joint winners. Fryer has had a remarkable year, earning Bronze medals in both Riga and Tallinn, along with a Silver in Zagreb, while Thompson secured Bronze medals in Warsaw and Prague, as well as a Silver in Zagreb.

The Male and Female Paralympic Athlete of the Year was awarded to Dan Powell and Kirsten Taylor. Taylor is no stranger to this award, winning it for the second consecutive year. She came just 100 points shy of qualifying for the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games in her first attempt, making her club and Scotland proud. A three-time Paralympian, Powell represented Great Britain at the London 2012 and Tokyo 2020 Games, and most recently, he was part of the squad that travelled to Paris earlier this year, where he brought home a Silver medal for British Judo.

The Club of the Year was presented to Middlesbrough Judo Club. A club that is much more than just a training facility; it’s a welcoming community that impacts its members and the surrounding area.

Catering to everyone from beginners to elite athletes, including adaptive players, the club fosters a thriving environment. What sets it apart is its strong commitment to inclusivity, providing essential resources in a high-deprivation area to ensure all members, including those with disabilities, receive the support they need.

Behind every successful judoka, there is often a dedicated and passionate coach, and this year’s winner was no different. This year’s Coach of the Year was awarded to Daniel Hankinson, who has made a significant impact on the judo community with his dedication. As a coach, he revitalized his club post-COVID, growing membership from two to nearly 20 children and a similar number of adults. His initiatives, including summer camps and judo education in schools, inspire young athletes and promote inclusivity.

The final award of the evening was the Presidents Award. Awarded to an outstanding individual who has dedicated their life to judo, and this years recipient has done just that. Brian Davies was awarded this year’s Presidents Award following a lifetime dedicated to the sport in a variety of capacities – most recently heading up the British Judo Trust.

Congratulations to all finalists and winners from this year’s British Judo Awards.

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