Jess Hastings from the British Judo Association events team said, “For us the key aim of the event is to provide an opportunity, open to the whole country, for female fighters to gather, learn from one another, share experiences and develop technically."
"Each year we have continued to set and meet a goal of growth in numbers while continually improving the offering and delivery at the event. This year we have been linking up with the home nations (Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and England) and their local projects, to share and promote female sessions.”
The weekend was a huge sucess, illustrated by the attendance of no less than 5 British women, all world medallists, leading mastrclasses, Q & A sessions and workshops:
Natalie Powell (Wales) - 2017 world bronze medallist
Karen Roberts (England) - 1999 world bronze medallist
Emma Reid (England) - 2024 world bronze medallist
Joyce Heron (Scotland) - 1993 world bronze medallist
Nekoda Smythe-Davis (England) - 2017 world bronze & 2018 world silver medallist
“The sessions, including no-gi training, nutrition talks and yoga for judo instruction were delivered to more than 80 judoka each day this weekend. It has grown to a two day event from the original 2023 one-day experience.”
Great Britain has a rich history in women’s judo, Jane Bridge winning gold at the First Women’s World Championships in 1980 and Emma Reid being the most recent world medallist after she clinched bronze in Abu Dhabi last year. The presence of home grown world medallists at the Female Fighters Festival, working with women and girls of all ages to improve and enjoy great judo experiences, is testament to the continued commitment to equality in Great Britain.
