SHAUNAVON — The Swift Current Judo Club hosted a successful provincial tournament, the first of 2025, at All Saints School in Swift Current on Saturday, Jan. 11.
Despite some unfavorable weather conditions, the event brought together over 65 athletes for a day of intense competition.
Logan Thiessen of Shaunavon, tournament director and assistant coach with the Swift Current Judo Club, described the event as a resounding success.
"Many of the young athletes were participating in their first-ever tournament, which made it an especially exciting and memorable experience for them," he said.
The Swift Current Judo Club is a diverse group, with members from all over the Â鶹´«Ã½AVwest region.
Two young athletes from Shaunavon, Nora Thiessen and Lieke Conradie, are part of the club.
Nora won two gold medals at the Swift Current tournament - one in the the U12-30kg Tachi Waza (stand up fighting) event and the other in the U12-30kg Ne Waza (ground fighting) event.
It wasn't her first win at the tournament level, however, as she has already achieved impressive results, including a gold medal at the provincial championships in Moose Jaw last spring.
Nora enjoys the competitive aspect of judo and meeting new people at tournaments and training camps. She also appreciates the opportunity to see provincial coach Josh Hagen during these events.
Logan, a veteran of the sport, started judo in 1992 and competed until 2003. He then moved to the coaching side of the sport and was involved until 2013.
Logan got back into judo in 2023 when Nora wanted to try it out.
According to Logan, judo offers many benefits to its participants.
"The moral codes of judo are courtesy, courage, honesty, honor, modesty, respect, self-control, and friendship, but you can also gain fitness if you want to be in the competitive stream of judo," he explained.
The club is now preparing for its next major event: the SaskOpen and Western Canada Kata Championships, scheduled to take place from January 24 to 26 at the Fieldhouse in Regina.
This prestigious tournament will attract a large contingent of 380 athletes, with a total of 556 entries. The Swift Current Judo Club expects to have a strong representation, with around 10-12 members participating in the event.
In preparation for these events, the Swift Current Judo Club holds regular training sessions every Monday and Thursday evening at the Lt. Colonel Clifton Centre in Swift Current. However, the Thiessen's only drive in every Thursday for practice and also try to attend two Monday sessions per month. For more information about the recent tournament, upcoming events, or the club in general, you can contact Nancy Filteau, Head Coach of the Swift Current Judo Club, at 1-306-750-9988. You can also visit their website at .
