About Me

I compete at U81kg for Great Britain in the sport of Judo. Originally hailing from Devizes in Wiltshire, I currently train full time at the University of Bath where I graduated with a BSc in Business in 2010. I am currently juggling full time training with an MSc in Strength and Conditioning and work as an athlete mentor and Judo coach. I am an athlete with a great deal of desire and determination and I also take my position as a role model to young people very seriously. My aim is to qualify for Rio 2016 and then devote my life to inspiring and engaging young people through sport. Most recently, I won a silver medal for England in the Commonwealth Games held in Glasgow this past July.

My work as an athlete mentor involves me visiting schools across the country to engage with young people and inspire them to believe in themselves and pursue their dreams. I talk to young people about the highs and lows of being an athlete and how I have worked hard to go from complete beginner to an international competitor. Every experience I have as an athlete adds to my story and my ability to inspire and improve the lives of young people. By supporting my journey to the Olympics you are also contributing to the power of my message as an athlete mentor…I’m sure every young person I visit would love the chance to hold an Olympic medal just as much as me!

My Goal

I am incredibly focused on qualifying for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Missing out on London 2012 was a tough experience and I am making sure I give every ounce of energy I have to the next two years to make sure it does not happen again and I am on the team for Rio.

The main thing holding me back is a lack of funding. There are approximately 35 Olympic qualification events a year around the globe and I currently have to fund myself to travel to all the competitions that I do. I do not receive any funding from my national governing body and each tournament costs between £300-1000 in total to attend. Qualification events give athlete’s the chance to win points to progress up the World Ranking List, with the top 22 in this list qualifying for the Olympics. Financial backing is essential to have a realistic chance at qualification and I presently have to raise all the funds through working extremely hard on top of my training schedule.

In the last twelve months I have only been able to compete in six qualification events yet I have still been as highly ranked as 23 in the world (currently 43). I truly believe that if I had the extra resources to do more training camps and international competitions I would be able to qualify for Rio and fulfill my lifelong dream of becoming an Olympian. It would be the culmination of 20 years of hard work and dedication to be able to step on to that mat and challenge for an Olympic medal for Great Britain.

Thanks for your support!

Tom