Judo WA Hosts 2026 Gala & Awards Night

On Friday, 23 October, Judo Western Australia held its 2026 Gala & Awards Night at the Ibis Hotel Perth. Following the Annual General Meeting, the evening welcomed more than 50 members of the WA judo community to celebrate the achievements of the past year and the people behind them.

The Gala provided an opportunity to come together away from the tatami, recognise outstanding performances and contributions, and thank the coaches, administrators, referees, volunteers and families whose ongoing efforts make judo in Western Australia possible.

The highlight of the evening was the presentation of awards, recognising outstanding members of our community for their achievements, dedication and service.

Judo WA congratulates all award recipients and thanks everyone whose contributions helped make the past year a success.

Photos from the evening are available in the 2026 Judo WA Gala photo gallery.

The evening also featured addresses from Judo WA CEO Jacob Read and Chair Melissa Dennehy. Both reflected on the achievements of the past year, acknowledged the people supporting our sport and looked ahead to the opportunities for WA judo. Their speeches are reproduced below.

CEO Speech – Jacob Read

Good evening everyone, and welcome to the 2026 Judo WA Gala.

I’d like to begin by acknowledging the Whadjuk people of the Noongar Nation, the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we gather, and pay my respects to Elders past and present.

To our Life Members, athletes, coaches, club representatives, referees, volunteers, families and friends—thank you for joining us. It’s a pleasure to have our community together this evening, albeit in an unfamiliar forum with no tatami to be seen.

We’ve had a successful year for judo in WA, and there are several achievements I’d like to acknowledge tonight.

One of the most encouraging achievements this year has been the tremendous growth in our membership, at double the national average.

Last year, we were pleased to see membership beginning to recover. To see that growth continue gives us confidence, and reflects the considerable effort being made within our clubs.

Introducing someone to judo is only the beginning. Encouraging them to continue takes consistent coaching, a welcoming environment and people who take an interest in their progress. Our clubs provide that experience each week, and I want to thank everyone contributing to this growth.

Our athletes have also given us much to celebrate.

At this year’s National Championships, WA claimed 23 national titles and 57 medals overall. Despite a relatively smaller team compared to previous years, we finished third on the overall medal table and achieved both the most gold and most overall medals per athlete—a result our athletes, coaches and clubs can be very proud of.

Internationally, thirty WA athletes competed across cadet, junior and senior events during the year, earning 47 medals, including 22 gold. At the end of June, five of our athletes ranked inside the top-10 on the IJF’s World Ranking Lists, and four of our senior athletes were ranked inside the world’s top fifty.

More recently, four WA athletes represented Australia at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Saya Middleton and Maria Swan each won silver, Keishin Ochi won bronze, and Vas Middleton narrowly missed out on a bronze, finishing 5th overall. All four finished in the top five, contributing three out of seven medals to Australia’s Commonwealth Games campaign.

Congratulations to each of our athletes, their coaches and everyone who supported their preparation.

I also want to recognise Bobby Girdwood, who won gold at the inaugural Lausanne Adapted Judo Grand Slam in Switzerland.

Many of us know Bobby through his refereeing and volunteering here in WA, which makes it particularly pleasing to see him achieve this success internationally. Congratulations, Bobby, and to your family, coaches and everyone who helped you get there.

These performances give us good reason to be optimistic about WA’s prospects for LA 2028 and Brisbane 2032. There is considerable work ahead, but we have athletes showing they can compete internationally, and younger judoka following closely behind them.

Supporting that progress means continuing to create opportunities for our members. Bringing international events to WA, and fostering opportunities to train, compete and learn alongside others across Australia and overseas, helps us stay connected despite our distance. Those experiences benefit our athletes and coaches, and the clubs they return to.

Every achievement I’ve mentioned depends on people willing to contribute their time, knowledge and effort.

Our coaches, administrators, referees and volunteers really are the engine behind judo in WA. They deliver training sessions, manage our clubs, organise competitions and provide the support that allows others to participate and succeed.

Much of this work happens outside the hours we spend together at competitions or on the tatami. It includes preparing for classes or events, responding to enquiries, general club administration, coordinating volunteers and making sure everything is ready for our members to arrive and step on to the mats.

These responsibilities are often carried alongside work, family and other commitments. Many people here have continued to give that time for years, and in some cases, decades.

To everyone who contributes to a club, committee, event or team: thank you. Your work makes judo in WA possible, and it deserves our recognition.

I also want to thank the families who support our members. The travel, time and expense involved can be considerable. Your encouragement and commitment allow our members, coaches, officials and volunteers to remain involved and pursue their goals.

To our Board, committees and staff, thank you for your service throughout the year.

To our Chair, Melissa Dennehy, thank you in particular for your continued support and friendship.

This evening, I’d like to give a special thank you to Marlee Mickle, who concludes her service as a Director after three two-year terms.

Six years on the Board is a significant commitment. Thank you for the time, care and experience you’ve contributed to Judo WA throughout that period. We’re grateful for your service and pleased to have this opportunity to acknowledge it here tonight.

I’d also like to welcome Candice Uyami, who was elected to the Board this evening. Congratulations, Candice.

We appreciate our partners for their ongoing support, and acknowledge our Life Members, whose years of dedication have helped build the sport we enjoy today.

Throughout this evening, we will recognise outstanding individuals for significant achievements and contributions to judo. I hope each recipient takes pride in receiving that recognition among the people who understand the commitment behind it.

Tonight also belongs to the wider WA judo community. Whatever your role, you have helped make this year possible.

For those who spend much of their time supporting others, I hope tonight is a chance to enjoy what you’ve helped create.

Thank you, and have a wonderful evening.

Chair’s Speech – Melissa Dennehy

Good evening, fellow Board members, club leaders, coaches, athletes, families and everyone who makes up our amazing Judo WA community.

I would like to start by acknowledging the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we meet today and pay my respects to their Elders past and present.

Looking back over the 2025–26 year, I am filled with immense pride. This has been a period of remarkable growth and momentum, demonstrating what we can accomplish through a shared approach between our organisation and our 16 member clubs.

Our community is thriving. Total membership grew by a fantastic 10.1%, an increase of 77 members, reaching 840—the highest level we have seen since 2022. Growth across 11 of our 16 clubs, including regional standouts like Broome Judo Club, demonstrates that our sport is increasing in profile and accessibility.

Our events calendar has been a significant driver of connection and revenue. The WA State Championships attracted 201 entries, breaking the 200-entry milestone for the first time since before COVID.

The Mandurah Oceania Open & Cup welcomed 167 athletes from 20 nations. This landmark weekend marked the beginning of a new three-year hosting commitment between Judo WA and the City of Mandurah, continuing to reduce travel barriers for our local athletes.

The Perth International Open welcomed 131 judoka across 205 entries, including athletes from interstate, New Zealand and Indonesia. This was an impressive result for an event held on Father’s Day, which also featured a memorable Dads versus Kids team event.

At the 2026 Australian National Championships, a determined contingent of 63 WA judoka secured 57 medals. Western Australia achieved both the most gold medals and the most overall medals per athlete.

We now have 37 WA athletes listed on the IJF World Ranking Lists, up from 27 last year, with several of our extraordinary judoka holding top-ten positions in the world.

Although outside the financial year, it would be remiss not to acknowledge our standout performances at the Commonwealth Games. Four of the 11 Australian team members came from WA, returning two silver medals, one bronze and a fifth-place finish. Three of those athletes live and train within the state—a strong indication that something is going right here in WA.

We must also recognise Bobby Girdwood’s historic gold medal at the Lausanne Adapted Judo Grand Slam.

Beyond competitive results, we celebrated 12 coaching accreditation promotions and five referee promotions, strengthening the expertise available to our clubs and events.

Our annual clubs forum brought club representatives together with Judo Australia’s participation and pathways leadership. Our Japanese exchange continued to build international development opportunities for coaches and pathway athletes, while volunteer engagement and upskilling remained important parts of our work.

And, of course, we have our Gala tonight—and people came! It is wonderful to see our community coming together to celebrate.

These achievements are supported by stronger strategic foundations and partnerships. Our move from Category E to Category D under the WA Government’s Industry Investment Program has secured a significant increase in core funding, giving us greater long-term capacity to serve our clubs and support regional development.

Judo WA also recorded a strong reported surplus of $121,550 for the year ending 30 June 2026.

We are grateful for the State Government’s generous grant support. Further funding opportunities in the current financial year have the potential to substantially change what is possible for pathway development in WA.

We are also seeing our Board and operational committees gain momentum, particularly our Finance and Audit Committee and Referee Committee. Their work is especially important as we manage our stronger financial position, consider investment opportunities and continue building refereeing capacity within the state.

I want to extend my deepest thanks to our CEO, Jacob Read, our hardworking staff, Cody and Estela, our dedicated committees, and the immense army of volunteers who give their time so generously.

Jacob has also taken the initiative to build a new website and app, without being asked, and improve the integration of our digital systems. Through direct reporting, scripts and APIs, he is helping our technology converse rather than simply talk at each other.

To our club coaches and families: you are the heartbeat of Judo WA. Let’s carry this incredible momentum forward into the next year—my last year with Judo WA!

Thank you.