A massive congratulations to everyone from SouthWest Judo Academy who was involved in this year’s Fuel to Go & Play Judo WA State Championships, held on 30 March 2025.
To all our competitors — your performances, sportsmanship, and dedication on the tatami made us incredibly proud. Whether you made it to the podium or not, your growth and commitment to judo were evident. Let’s carry the lessons from this championship forward and keep striving for excellence! 💪
A huge thank you to Judo Western Australia for delivering yet another fantastic and well-run State Championships.
As always, we want to express our heartfelt appreciation to our SouthWest family. From laying and transporting mats, to volunteering throughout the event, and packing down late into Sunday evening — your unwavering support does not go unnoticed. Thank you! 🙏
📋 SouthWest Medal Results:
🥇 Gold Medalists
- Quinn Goff – Under 9 Boys / 22kg-24kg
- Kayla Nae – Cadet Women / Over 70kg
- Giulio Gerace – Senior Men / Under 73kg
🥈 Silver Medalists
- Kieron Nae – Under 11 Boys / 48kg-49kg
- Keelan Mullins – Under 13 Boys / Under 44kg
- Emileka Aiesi – Cadet Women / Under 63kg
- Olivia Knights – Junior Women / Under 63kg
- Thomas Knights – Senior Men / Under 66kg
- Shane Rigby – Senior Men / Under 90kg
- Alyssa Fry – Senior Women / Under 57kg
🥉 Bronze Medalists
- Lilly Taylor – Under 11 Girls / 24kg-29kg
- Tommy Mullins – Under 11 Boys / 48kg-49kg
- Hunter Kruger – Under 13 Boys / Under 49kg
- Nate Stevens – Under 15 Boys / Under 66kg
- Olivia Knights – Senior Women / Under 57kg
- Emileka Aiesi – Senior Women / Under 70kg
- Daniel Stevens – Veteran Men / Under 81kg
Honourable Mentions
Congratulations also to our following members who narrowly missed out on a medal this year:
- James Taylor – Under 13 Boys / Under 44kg
- Nick Goff – Veteran Men / Under 73kg
🤝 Mixed Team Tournament
This year marked the exciting debut of the Mixed Teams competition, and we were proud to field a SouthWest team!
In the semi-final against Curtin Elite Judo Club, a tense 3-3 draw led to a random category being selected for the tiebreaker — sadly, it was one we couldn’t fill, resulting in an automatic loss.
In the bronze medal match against the Australian Institute of Judo, our team fought hard but fell short 4-2. Despite the result, we’re proud of everyone who stood up for SouthWest in this new and thrilling format. We’ll be back stronger next year!
🎎 Kata Demonstrations
Several of our members also took part in kata demonstrations, showcasing judo’s traditional and technical roots:
- Tanya Charters & Simon Read – Ju-no-kata
- Alyssa Fry & Olivia Knights – Nage-no-kata
- Nate Stevens & Daniel Stevens – Nage-no-kata
- Thomas Knights & Giulio Gerace – Nage-no-kata
- Perry Lugg & Jared Cowell – Itsutsu-no-kata (rarely seen!)
Thank you to all participants for highlighting the beauty, discipline, and tradition of kata 👏
Onwards and Upwards, Team SouthWest! ❤️
We couldn’t be prouder of our athletes, coaches, volunteers, and families. Let’s build on this momentum and continue to grow together.
