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One of the greatest sporting
moments of the year so far unfolded at the English Institute of
Sport in Sheffield on Sunday as Britain’s finest judo exponents
brought their unique brand of athleticism and awe to the sport-orientated
steel city.
As spectators salivated at the prospect
of seeing the Olympic Squad in action for the first time the only
question was which bout to watch as four scintillating contests
ran simultaneously throughout both days of competition.
One special talent who was earmarked
as a potential show stealer was 16-year-old Hayley Willis.
While also working through
the stresses of her mock GCSE exams, the Stratford Judokwai judoka
has catapulted herself to worldwide acclaim.
When away from the classroom
the -48kg player was travelling the continent and winning. Titles
came in the shape of the 2011 British Trials, English Junior Open,
Czech Republic Cadets European Cup and the Junior British Championships.
Shining on the domestic
stage was just a warm-up for high-flying Hayley as she went on
to capture bronze medals at the Cadets European Championships
and the European Youth Olympics Festival against the continent’s
greatest young judoka.
On the world stage the
Dagenham youngster took fifth-place at the Cadet World Championships
as she narrowly lost the bronze medal contest.
But Hayley was not done
yet. At the tender age of 15, the fearless teenager stepped up
an age group to take on players who were four years her senior
at the Junior World Championships. These unsuspecting judoka,
who hailed from the four corners of the world, witnessed the emergence
of one of the sport’s most outstanding teenagers.
First to be dispatched
was an American, then fell a Frenchwoman and next a Spaniard (who
later captured a bronze medal via the repechage).
Hayley was edged out in
the semi-final by a Brazilian but comfortably won the bronze medal
contest against a Serbian to send shockwaves through the junior
stage.
As her talents seem
to ignite a greater stage with every event Hayley, who only turned
16 on 30 November, fought at the Junior British Closed Championships
and successfully defended her title.
On Sunday, the youngster
was quietly expected to be a medal threat in the senior competition
and proceeded to light up the lightest category with a series
of assured displays against competitors 10 years her senior.
Hayley on the medal rostrum in Sheffield
"I am really
pleased with my performance at the weekend,” said Hayley.
"I’m still a bit
shocked but feel like the work that the team behind me
and the work I’m putting in is slowly paying off. I have
had some exams recently and it is hard sometimes to fit it all
in but making sure the timetable for judo and exams is right is
so important for me especially to be able to get enough of the
right training at the right moment.”
As spectators absorbed
the significance of Hayley’s breathtaking success, another extraordinary
story was unfolding in the +78kg category.
At the other end of her
career - and coming as a surprise participant to some – former
British Visually Impaired team member Lesley Reid, 50, (yes, that’s
five-zero) challenged Britain’s top female heavyweights.
Lesley was dealt a heart
wrenching blow in November ahead of the Visually Impaired (VI)
European Championships in Crawley as she failed to meet new sight
classification criteria and was no longer classed as a Visually
Impaired athlete.
The Melbourn Judo Club
player left the British VI team and with her departure ended her
dreams of a fairytale appearance at the Paralympic Games having
emerged from a VI talent search three years ago.
Lesley took silver at the
2011 IBSA World Games and was widely-tipped as a leading medal
hope in London.
Despite being on the
brink of competing at the Paralympic Games, only to see the opportunity
cruelly taken away, Lesley still maintained her passion for the
sport and wanted to end her career on her own terms.
That prompted her to enter
the 2012 British Closed Championships where she faced fully sighted
heavyweight judoka including Olympic Squad member Sarah Adlington.
Lesley’s sheer defiance
of convention, being a 50-year-old mother who’ll go toe-to-toe
against people half her age – not to mention an intimidating return
to fully sighted competition - is almost as admirable as her immense
work ethic and determination.
As the crowd willed her
on, Lesley incredibly repeated a feat she achieved a quarter of
a century ago.
The Royston judoka clinched
a bronze medal just as she did at the same competition in 1987.
2011 IBSA World Games silver medallist Lesley Reid
"I wanted to retire
on my terms and it was important for me to compete again,” said
Lesley.
"I enjoyed it out
there, it was very difficult and very tiring but I'm delighted
to win a medal. I was absolutely exhausted coming off the
mat but I was determined to fight at the event.
"The opposition was
very tough including the winner and Olympic squad member Sarah
Adlington who I wish very well for the future."
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