15/05/2022
First of all anyone who has any photos of this years competition and would like to share please send any to [email protected]
I started in 2017 with an idea to hold a Charity Judo competition to raise awareness for brain cancer because a young man who I knew from judo had been diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour. The shocking thing is that just 6 months before his diagnosis he was fighting at the highest level of judo, representing Wales in the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
Sadly less than 6 months after the first Brain Tumour Charity, Jamie passed away in November 2017. A young man with everything ahead of him in life, it highlighted that cancer can affect anyone no matter what age, s*x, race or state of health.
In 2019 we renamed the competition in Jamie's honour The Jamie MacDonald Memorial Championships and had the 3rd event with the aim to raise awareness and money.
After 2019 I decided to change charity partner to The Teenage Cancer Trust, a charity that helped Jamie with support during his battle.
Then with preparations for 2020 well underway it all went wrong when a new C word came into our lives......COVID.
As the world went into lockdown so did the judo community with clubs putting training on hold and doing zoom judo (Darth Vader would have been proud as the original social distance choker) to some clubs sadly closing, never to open again. The Jab came along and there was talk of 2021 being the new 2020, and elite judo started in preparation for the 2020(1) Olympic and Paralympic games where we could celebrate some happiness with Chelsie Giles Winning not just an Olympic Bronze Medal but Team GBs first medal of the games. Late we had the one and only Chris Skelley Winning a fantastic Paralympic Gold. Oh sorry he isn't Chris Skelley its now Chris Skelly MBE!
Unfortunately our competition was not able to run and there were doubts that 2022 would happen all because of the Omicron Variant. (Obviously the person naming the variant is a lover of the Greek Alphabet).
However somehow we managed to get this on for our 4th competition. With New and hopefully permanent home in Walsall, almost 300 competitors embarked on a quest to win that most precious possession, A Jamie MacDonald Memorial Championships Medal. Some triumphed and some did not, however I know all gave there best and I hope all had a good day.
I would also like to congratulate Craig Robbins from Leicester Judo Academy who fought in the -90s Masters and Dan Grade Senior who was awarded the Spirit of Judo award shield and joins Ben Moore who won it in 2019 as the 2nd recipient of the award.
I would like to re-iterate my thanks to each and everyone of you who came to the Jamie MacDonald Memorial Championships today. It was a fantastic day.
I would also like to thank from the bottom of my heart and every one of the referees and officials you gave up the time for this event. Special thanks once again goes to Tournament Director Sarah Newbury along with Referee in Charge, Carol Leverton as well as Stefan Newbury and Malcolm Limerick who were part of the management team on control. Without you all this event could not go ahead.
I can now reveal that the total amount raised on the day for Teenage Cancer trust is £946. This is an amazing amount especially in the climate we are in and I totally understand that people are having to cut back and I am beyond grateful for your support.
I can also announce that the 2023 Jamie MacDonald Memorial Championships will be held in Walsall on the 13th May 2023 with a planned masterclass event on the following day. This will be the 5th Anniversary Event and I am looking forward to seeing each and every one of you there.
In conclusion Thank you so much for your support and efforts and Huge congratulations to all those who won Medals.
See you in 2023!!!!
Simon
