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.

Now, 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.

“I came down from Inverness to watch Glasgow 2014 and it was just amazing to be there,” she said. “The atmosphere 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 setting in the crowd watching, the whole time I was thinking that I wanted it to be me up there. And I have the belief that I can do it. It’s really exciting to think that – and it’s just amazing to think 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 then, just a few weeks later, she was named in Team GB for the European Youth Olympics in Hungary where she claimed a bronze medal.

It was her experience of making the podium at Hungary that gave her a taste of success at major, multi-sport games and a desire for more.

“The Youth Olympics were a really good experience because it gave me a little taste of what a major games is like,” she said. “It was obviously nothing like the scale of the real Olympics but it was really inspiring because it does make you think, ‘Well, I’ve got to this stage, what is stopping me continuing on to the next stage?’

“This year has definitely been a real confidence boost for me – it’s shown me that I can compete with the best in Europe.”

While Inverness may not be famous for its ability to produce judo champions, Steele has never been short of role models. When she first signed up to 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 her area making 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 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 Herriot-Watt University to study nano-science, which has allowed her to train daily at Judo Scotland’s training base in Ratho on the outskirts of Edinburgh.

Combining such a testing degree with a heavy training schedule is, she admits, quite a challenge but training day in, day out, with Scotland’s best judoka is already bringing improvements to her judo.

“I was 16 when I left school which is quite young and I must admit that I struggled a little bit at the start, but now I’m really enjoying it,” she said.

“The other players all understand that I am trying to do full-time degree and also trying to improve at judo so they’re pretty good at helping me fit both in. And it’s nice having something completely separate from sport as well – I find it hard to just do one thing and so I think it really helps me progress by having a distraction.”

Judo is not on the programme for the 2018 Commonwealth Games but will return in 2022, a date Steele has her sights set on before she hopes to move on to bigger and better things.

“I’m targeting the 2024 Olympics but, before that, I’ll be targeting the 2022 Commonwealth Games – that’s my first major goal,” 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 really massive to aim for.”