Mum backs Melbourn judo champion daughter to inspire next wave of stars
Emma Reid is aiming to defend her Commonwealth Games title
Last updated 11 hours ago
The mum of a British judo champion says she can be a role model for the next generation of talent.
Emma Reid is aiming to defend the -78kg title she won at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022 in Glasgow on Sunday.
The 31-year-old trained at Melbourn Judo Club (MJC) and has already achieved success on the international stage.
"She is the reigning Commonwealth champion, so I'm massively proud; she's won a world medal and this year won a European silver, and went to the Paris (Olympic) Games as well," Lesley Reid, Emma's mum, said.
After working with a psychologist at British Judo, Reid has gone on to win 11 international medals.
Her mum Lesley, who is visually impaired, was told she could not compete at the London 2012 Paralympics because of a change in the rules.
She alongside her husband Iain have been running MJC - which as around 125 regular members - for more than 15 years.
Lesley - who won gold in the F7-78kg event at the World Veterans Judo Championships last year - hopes that Emma's achievements so far can encourage children to take up and stay interested in judo.
"We bring her back for masterclasses from time to time and I think our members see her that she's a real local girl; if she can do it, they can do it," she said.
"You've got to be prepared to lose many times and keep trying; she's (Emma) had a lot of ups and downs in her judo career.
"If she goes to competitions and she loses, she's really upset but by the next day, she's like 'right, I'm going to do this, this and this' to get better next time."
Ford, 10, has been coming to MJC for the last two years.
"I just like learning a martial art and being able to throw people; I like coming here, running around the mats and getting to talk to people," he said.
Lesley believes judo is a sport "you never stop learning" and still gets a buzz from the sport that's given her and many children enjoyment since taking over at MJC.
She feels because there are more martial arts to choose from, participation in judo may not be as high as it once was.
"Keeping kids in the sport is challenging because it's a highly technical and tough sport; you get a lot of knocks and bumps," Lesley added.
"There's a lot of friendships that develop within the club and I think it's these friendship groups that keep them coming back more than anything else."