Coppull teen who took up judo after losing a childhood scrap to his sister wins gold at international competition

Joshuha Hodkinson, 18, won gold after winning all five fights at the Virtus Ocenia Asia Games 2022 in Brisbane earlier this month. The sporting event which ran from November 5-11, is an international multi-sport competition for elite athletes with an intellectual impairment. Last weekend he also competed in Venray, Netherlands, winning all four fights against a British, a German, a French and a Dutch person.

His journey in the sport started when he lost a fight to his sister Chloe on a hill over a decade ago, joking that he now uses judo as an outlet to "forget whatever has happened in the day".

"I was a little surprised I won all of the fights”

Still in disbelief Joshuha, who also trains at Beach Judokwai under the guidance of coach Joe Burns, told the Post: "I first started at Trowbridge Budokwai in 2012 as my dad encouraged me to start a sport as my sister Chloe and I fought on a nearby hill called the White Horse and she beat me up! So from a few weeks after that, I started judo and haven't stopped. I was a little surprised I won all of the fights as I was against some of my British teammates, and also fighting the Japanese in their own sport was also a little nerve wracking.”

Adding that next year will be a busy one for him, he said: "It has been mentioned of possibly going for a training camp with the British team in Japan next year, so I am very excited for that. I will also be competing in some regional competitions over the New Year period to Easter time where I will be competing in the Ben Van Der Eng XXIII competition mid-April. I will be working towards the Virtus World Games which will be in Vichy in June 2023."

Other notable titles he has won include Ben van der Eng (BENG) Adaptive World Judo Games champion three years in a row and Adaptive British Champion multiple times and Adaptive British Schools Champion.

Sporting talent runs in the family

His sister Chloe Baker, 18, is also a judo champion and was one of the youngest to compete in the Junior category at the Judo European Cup in May. She will be competing in the British National Junior and Senior competitions in Sheffield on December 10-11 and in the Scottish Open competition in January. She was also one of the youngest to compete in the Junior category at the Judo European Cup in May and recently attained her black belt in the sport, which orginated in Japan.

Joshuha who is an accounting apprenticeship at Duce in Chorley and trains at SKK Judo in Newton le Willows and Beach Judo in Blackburn, added: "As for a rest, during Christmas time, I will have a two week break, then I will be back at it to burn all the chocolates I'll be eating!"