After recently announcing her retirement, Sally Conway has taken up the role of Apprentice Coach at JudoScotland as part of the sportscoltand Coaching Futures Programme.

As an Olympic, World, European and Commonwealth medallist, Conway brings a vast amount of experience to the role and is excited to start her journey after stepping away from competition.

Speaking to JudoScotland about her new role Conway said: “I’m so excited to be a part of the coaching futures programme.

I’m looking forward to learning all I can from the coaches at JudoScotland and others I come in contact with. I can’t wait to get started”.

Coaching Futures, funded by sportscotland and now supporting its third cohort, aims to increase the pool of home-grown world class coaches by creating opportunities for performance athletes to transition into coaching roles.

Sally will provide support to performance and pathway fighters during the two-year programme while developing her coaching skillset through in situ learning and exposure to various education, training and competition environments. JudoScotland has a strong history with Coaching Futures and has provided the two previous judo apprentices with a solid foundation to move into full time regional and national coaching roles.

National High-Performance Coach Euan Burton said: “The sportscotland coaching futures programme has provided enormous benefit to judoka and the JudoScotland system over recent years and we are thrilled to welcome Sally into that system in a coaching capacity. Her achievements as an athlete were of the highest level and we look forward to her bringing that same work ethic, positivity and passion to the role.”

Ronnie Saez, Chair of JudoScotland added: “I am delighted that Sally has decided to join JudoScotland’s performance coaching team. It is a fantastic opportunity for our athletes to learn from the most successful Scottish Judoka of recent years, and we wish her every success as she embarks on her coaching career”.