It’s wonderful to see so many judoka choosing West Camp as their destination this year. It speaks volumes about the quality of this camp that it remains a popular choice among judoka and coaches, with so many options available. It’s impressive to see such a diverse group of judoka attending the camp, coming from 37 different clubs across multiple countries, including France, Germany, and the Czech Republic. The training environment at West Camp is truly unique and exciting, with judoka of all ages and skill levels coming together to learn and grow. The presence of world-class coaches only adds to the already electric atmosphere, providing valuable insight and inspiration for all attendees. It’s no surprise that West Camp remains a popular choice among judoka seeking a thrilling and enriching training experience, along with the opportunity to visit the local beach at Westward Ho and enjoy a true North Devon adventure of surfing.

The opening session on Sunday afternoon welcomed three guest GB Senior Internationals directly from the National Training Centre in Walsall. Paralympian Jack Hodgson, along with Charlie Young and Ollie Barrett, who attended the camp as a junior judoka himself, led a fantastic Para judo session, allowing the judoka to experience visually impaired judo.

Monday started with a group run followed by the first technical masterclass session led by GB International Micheal Fryer who led an inspiring Newaza session. In the afternoon, the judoka, divided into teams for the camp, participated in various team sports such as Handball, Tag Rugby, Rounders, and Football. The evening Randori session was led by Moberley Judo Club Coach Ben Almond, who has been supporting the camp for many years and has brought his children to the camp for many years.

On Tuesday morning, some of our younger coaches had the opportunity to lead a morning strength and conditioning session. The session was well delivered and provided a great experience for our judoka. It also allowed our newer coaches to gain valuable experience in delivering to large groups.

After breakfast, we divided the morning judo sessions into two groups. This allowed the judoka to visit the local beach at Westward Ho and experience the thrilling sport of surfing in North Devon. Meanwhile, in the dojo, we had the Head Coach from Bradley Stoke Judo Club and GB Support Coach Pete Douglas delivering an excellent Masterclass technical session before the groups switched over after lunch. Our evening Randori session was full of energy, with the dojo buzzing with enthusiasm as Pete led a brilliant session. This was supported by Michael Fryer and recent Paris Olympian Lele Nairne, both joining in with the kids and giving them a truly fantastic practice.

On Wednesday morning, the judoka started with the challenging 12-minute Cooper run. This test of endurance and determination required them to run flat out for 12 minutes to see how many laps they could complete around the 200m track. Congratulations to Simon Walsh from Pro Judo for running just over 2700m!

During our morning judo sessions, Lele Nairne led our sessions. It was an incredible opportunity for our judoka to gain insights into her journey and judo style. Lele herself had attended many of the camps when she was a rising cadet and junior, and seeing her return as an Olympian is a fantastic success story. Lele demonstrated two amazing techniques and movement patterns, and she was equally supported by Michael Fryer, who provided additional technical skills giving the session a real boost of expertise.

After lunch and some recovery time, we had a second judo session with Western Area Head Coach Simon Ward leading a mix of Newaza skills mixed in with some randori-style games before finishing off the session with some strong transition based in Newaza-style Randori.

In the evening, after a delightful BBQ, the traditional “It’s A Knockout” team challenges began. Each team competed against each other in a variety of speed, strength, and decision-making games. The contests concluded with a tug-of war between the coaches and the judoka. Afterwards, the judoka enjoyed a final evening of socialising and having fun around the school grounds, creating more memories and friendships.

On Thursday morning, we started with another optional group run, which was actually not optional if you hadn’t returned to your room by the deadline from the previous evening’s activities! Our final judo session was led by our young coaches, who, along with their teams, had the chance to review the technical skills taught throughout the week by the guest coaches. They then presented the key points to the camp group and had another practice session. We wrapped up the camp with a few more randori and some fun games to successfully conclude the 2024 camp.

I just wanted to take a moment to express how impressed I am with all the athletes who participated in our 2024 judo camp. Your hard work and dedication throughout the week was truly inspiring, and it was clear that everyone gave it their all on the tatami. I also want to commend you all for embodying the true values of judo both on and off the mat. It was an unforgettable experience for everyone involved, and I couldn’t be prouder of what we accomplished together.

I want to also express my gratitude towards everyone involved in the camp from the catering team to the parents who made the journey down to Bideford, and of course to the mentors and coaches who made the camp experience so wonderful – thank you all so much for your hard work and dedication. It was truly a team effort, and I am grateful to have been a part of it.

Joshua from Judo Club Sainghin en Mélantois (France) said: “I joined the camp for the second time this year and it was even better than last year. I loved the judo experience with all the coaches and great athletes, I enjoyed making new friends and being a team captain, I loved all the activities, particularly the surfing day, I love the place and the way the camp is run by Simon. A huge thank you for everything!”

Bradley Stoke Judo Club Head Coach, Pete Douglas commented: “The Western Camp is unique and superb at what it sets out to do an introduction Judo training Camps. The facilities and the team involved all really enjoy what they are doing it has a real feeling good factor. For me it was a pleasure to come along and Coach the players and show them some of Bradley Stoke J.C competitive Judo. I also had my young players at the Camp and a few of my elite players with me. Simon is superb in running these camps and getting all of the kids involved. well done to everyone involved and the young players taking on the challenge. I’m sure they all went home tired.”

Matthew from United Judo club added: “The camp was fun, thanks to all coaches, I’ve learnt lots of new. Great experience for me.”

John from Wolverhampton Judo Club said: “Brilliant people. Brilliant judo. Brilliant experience. Thank you everyone.”

Finally, Isabella from Yenton JC commented: “The camp was amazing, I made loads of friends and there was a good balance between fun and judo. I would definitely recommend this camp for any age! It was my second year, and this time, I was joined by others from club, with a range of ages and abilities. We all had a fantastic time and can’t wait to come back.”

Western Area Head Coach, Simon Ward