WHEN Josie Steele was sitting in the stands at Glasgow 2014 as a young teenager watching her compatriots win medal after medal, she vowed that one day, it would be her winning medals on the international stage. Just three and a half years later, the 17 year-old from Inverness has established herself as one of Europe’s best young judoka and with the inspiration of Glasgow 2014 still fresh in her memory, she has her sights set on making her mark in the senior ranks in the coming years.
“The atmosphere at Glasgow 2014 was unbelievable and what made it even more special was that the judo medals were some of Scotland’s first medals so it really helped raise the profile of the sport. When I was sitting in the crowd watching, the whole time I was thinking that I wanted that to be me. And I have the belief that I can do it – it’s really exciting to think that and it’s just amazing to think that I have this opportunity in front of me.”
Steele really stepped up a level in 2017, with a number of impressive results highlighting her potential. In the summer, she finished in fifth position in the European Under-18 Championships while just a few weeks later she was named in Team GB for the European Youth Olympics in Hungary where she claimed bronze and it was this experience that has given her a real taste for success at major, multi-sport games.
“The Youth Olympics were a really good experience because it gave me a little taste of what a major games is like,” she said. “And it does make you think well, I’ve got to this stage, what is stopping me continuing on to the next stage?”
While Inverness may not exactly be famed for its ability to produce judo champions, Steele has never been short of role models. When she first signed up for a judo club as a young girl, the club coach was Robert Inglis, father of Glasgow 2014 silver medallist Stephanie. Steele fought at the same weight as Steph and so took considerable inspiration from seeing someone who grew up in the same area as she did make it to the top of her sport.
“I always knew about Steph and I watched her at the Commonwealth Games in 2014,” said Steele. “It was really nice to have someone ahead of me who I knew personally and has succeeded so that made me feel think well, if she can do it, why can’t I do it?”
Inglis made the news last year when a motorbike accident in Vietnam left her fighting for her life and Steele admits that seeing up close her compatriot cope so well with such a serious situation has been quite an eye-opener. “When Steph had her accident, her dad was away from the club for ages and it was very shocking to see something like that happen to her,” the teenager said.
“It did affect everyone quite badly but it was just amazing to see her pull through and she’s just got an amazing attitude – she’s just carrying on with her life and not complaining about anything.”
Just a few months ago, Steele left her home in the Highlands to enrol at Heriot Watt University to study nano-science, which allows her to train daily at Judo Scotland’s training base in Ratho on the outskirts of Edinburgh and while she admits that combining her degree with training is not always easy, she is loving the challenge.
While judo is not on the programme for the 2018 Commonwealth Games, it will return in 2022, which Steele has her sights set on before she hopes to move onto bigger and better things. “I’m targeting the 2024 Olympics but before that, I will be targeting the 2022 Commonwealth Games,” she said. “It’s brilliant that judo will be back in the Commonwealth Games - everyone cannot wait for it and it also gives me something massive to aim for.”
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