The British Judo Association were very pleased to see the return of the British Judo Adaptive & VI Open. The competition took place for the first time since the pandemic on the 28^th of August 2022 at Leigh Sports Village.

Throughout the day we saw fantastic efforts from the 76-competing judoka, 22 of whom claimed gold. The long-awaited event welcomed Adaptive and VI judoka of all abilities to the mats, allowing individuals to compete in the challenging environment they love.

The event was supported by Sami Smithson and Kerry Tansey who are both a part of the Adaptive Working Group, the group worked with others to ensure that the event was inclusive and accessible to all.

Sami Smithson, our Head of Inclusion, Safeguarding and Wellbeing, gives us an insight into how well the event went and her personal highlights of the day; ‘The GB Open adaptive championships brought together the Adaptive Judo community from across Great Britain to celebrate and compete in the sport we all love. It was fantastic to see all levels of ability catered for, a truly inclusive event which couldn’t have happened without the tireless efforts of the Adaptive Working Group in collaboration with the Northwest Area committee. The day was full of highlights for me with well-known coaches from around mainstream judo commenting on what a fantastic event it was, international referees working with coaches and players to adapt and overcome challenges and the opportunities for everyone to be involved in the day. I am already looking forward to next year when Wales will host the championships.’

Kerry Tansey has been involved in adaptive judo for over 15 years and is passionate about creating equal opportunities for all within judo. ‘For the first one back for nearly all the athletes, it was great to see new faces too, making new friends and challenging themselves (and the parents) to new environments. Long awaited for some after Covid. We need to plan more events and get them on the calendar.’

It is fantastic to see the accomplishments that have been made at the event. 22 athletes claimed their gold medals, Stuart Jackman, Skye Westwood, Sophie Kenny and Jake Pasquill claimed gold again after previously achieving gold medals in 2019.

After a great return of the British Judo Adaptive & VI Open, we look forward to the upcoming Northern Ireland Adaptive & VI Open, taking place on October 8^th 2022 at the Foyle Arena, 2 Limavady Road Derry/Londonderry, BT47 6JY. Follow the link for full event details: https://www.nijudo.com/event/the-northern-ireland-adaptive-v-i-open/

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