RAF Akrotiri Judo Club member Joshua Hemsley struck gold at this month’s British Adaptive Judo Championship at the Sport Wales National Centre in Cardiff.
This latest success, in the Under-73kg category, means the 22-year old has now won gold medals for four consecutive years and is showing no signs in resting on his laurels.
Hemsley’s route to gold was not made easy and he had to win five contests during the championships in Wales as he displayed his wide variety of skills and techniques.
He finished his first fight with a ‘body drop throw’, which gave him maximum points and his second and fourth fights ended quickly, with an ‘inner-thigh throw’ which saw his opponents looking skywards, lying flat on their backs.
In his final match-up, he also displayed his full array of complex ground skills by pining his opponent to the mat.
Now back at RAF Akrotiri and reflecting on what has been another dominant tournament for the young man, Hemsley revealed his pride in bringing home gold once again.
He said: “I am so pleased with my performance during the championships. I fought new opponents that I had never competed against, which was challenging but fortunately I was able to put my training to good use and adapt my techniques to ensure success.
“It has been a great competition for both myself and the club and I would like to thank Kerry Tansey and the British Judo Association team for making the day possible.”
The GB International Adaptive Judo Squad member is now preparing to compete at the 2nd European Intellectual Disability Judo Championships in Cologne in October.
The Akrotiri Judo Club was formed in February last year and has quickly established itself within both the Bases community and among other clubs within the Republic of Cyprus.
If you are interested in trying Judo, then visit the Akrotiri Judo Club page on Facebook for more information.