Student’s delight at silver medal

Jodie Myers won her silver medal in the female judo over 78kg category in Glasgow and is now back in training at the British Judo Centre of Excellence at the University’s Walsall Campus.

The 19-year-old sustained a ligament injury in her right arm earlier in the year, and only returned to the mat three weeks before the Commonwealth Games.

She says: “I wasn’t happy with the silver at the time because I wanted to win, but now I’ve had time to reflect I did really well and I’m happy with what I achieved.

“The atmosphere at Glasgow was amazing – it was like nothing I had ever experienced before. The arena was packed and every time I came out there was a massive cheer and the support was amazing.

“Some of my family had never seen me compete before so a lot of them were crying because they were so proud.

“I am going to aim towards competing at the Rio Olympics in 2016 but Tokyo is a more realistic aim for me.”

Jodie, who is from New Brighton on the Wirral, is going into her second year of a BA (Hons) Event and Venue Management degree at the University’s Walsall Campus in October.

Her Judo career really started to take off at the same time as she started at the University, and she admits she found juggling the two difficult at first.

But Jodie says the support she has received from British Judo and the University has really helped.

“It has been a massive step but I’ve had a performance lifestyle advisor provided by British Judo who has been really helpful with my work. The University also gave me a scholarship of £1,000 to buy new kit and to attend the British Open this year.”

Jodie, who started Judo when she was 11 and has been competing since she was 14, is full of praise for the British Judo Centre of Excellence at the Walsall Campus, where she is currently training for her next competition – the Junior European Championship in Romania in September.

She says: “It is brilliant – everything about the Centre is about our success. All the facilities are great and we have the support of a nutritionist, a physio, coaches and even a video analysis advisor. Everyone who trains here is on the right path to go forward and the atmosphere we train in is amazing.”

ENDS

Picture: Jodie Myers at the British Judo Centre of Excellence at the University of Wolverhampton with her Commonwealth Games silver medal

For more information please contact Vickie Warren in the Media Relations Office on 01902 322736.

Date Issued: Friday, 22 August 2014