Antony goes to the mat for kids

Prestigious national award for disability judo coach

- ROBERT MITCHELL

A dedicated member of Hamilton Judo Club’s Inclusion class has been honoured with a national award.

Antony Martin was named Disability Coach of the Year at the prestigious JudoScotland Community Awards.

The national initiative recognises the hard work and commitment of judo volunteers across Scotland.

Judo has always played a large role in Anthony's life as he first stepped on the mat 17 years ago during a judo taster session at his primary school. It wasn’t long before he joined Hamilton Judo Club and was a regular down at the club and competing in judo competitions across the country.

Antony had started to take a step back from judo and was contemplating giving the sport up completely just as the Covid pandemic hit. Having some time away from judo during lockdown helped him to decide his next step. And the perfect opportunity presented itself when one of his old coaches approached him to get involved with coaching disability sessions with the launch of Hamilton Judo Club Inclusion.