'I owe everything to the children I coach' - 'Mr Blackpool' returns to Judo in spectacular double win
'I owe everything to the children I coach.’
Blackpool's own Ross Goodwin has made a remarkable return to competitive judo after an eight year absence from the sport.
Widely known as ‘Mr Blackpool’ and professional wrestling personality ’Rossy Rascal’, Ross competed on Saturday at Yorkshire and Humberside where he secured gold and silver medals across two competition categories, proving that time away had done little to diminish his abilities.
In an impressive display of skill and determination, he secured victories over opponents holding higher judo grades than his own.
However, the weekend's achievements were only just beginning - he then went on to securing a prestigious rank promotion.
The highly competitive Dan Grading event was an opportunity for Judo competitors to earn points towards promotion to the next black belt rank.
Ross delivered an outstanding performance throughout the grading competition, earning every point required to secure promotion 3rd Dan Black Belt.
This achievement places Ross among an elite group of judoka and establishes him as the highest active competitive judo grade in Blackpool.
In a humbling comment, he said: 'I owe everything to the children I coach for the inspiration and courage to return to competive judo.”
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A lifelong ambassador for martial arts and community sport, Ross inspires the next generation through his work at Kaidokan Judo Academy Blackpool and his wider community projects.
His successful return to competitive judo demonstrates that dedication, perseverance, and passion for the sport can produce extraordinary results, even after years away from competition.