Judo athlete and sports therapy student Laura Allen won Gold in her weight class in the English Closed Championships 2026.
Laura, who is studying BSc (Hons) Sports Therapy at the University of Chichester, competed in the Senior Women Under 63kg on Sunday, 6 September, and took Gold, making her English Champion in her class.
She said: “Becoming English champion was a very proud moment for me. It was amazing to see the hard work I put in not just physically but mentally play out on the day and help me reach that top spot on the podium.
“I left full-time training in 2025 for personal reasons, thinking I would never return to Judo let alone competitive Judo. It took a lot of work with professionals and on myself personally to get this far. It’s a good confidence boost and motivates me to keep striving for bigger goals.”
Laura is part of the University’s Gifted Athletes Support Programme (GASP), which she said has been ‘incredibly valuable, providing support across all aspects of sport, from performance and strength and conditioning to wellbeing, recovery and athlete development’.
She decided to study Sports Therapy after suffering injuries during her time in the sport – and after applying to five universities, she chose Chichester.
“The University has played a big role in supporting both my academic and sporting journey,” Laura said. “It has given me opportunities to represent Chichester in competition and has been understanding of the demands that come with competing in a high-level sport. The support from staff, alongside studying Sports Therapy, has helped me continue developing as an athlete while working towards my career goals. I’m proud to represent the University and grateful for the opportunities it has given me.”
On her time in the sport, Laura said: “I first started Judo when I was eight, at my home club – Bedford Judo Club. I trained twice a week and absolutely fell in love with the sport. Judo slowly started to come first always in my life, competitions on the weekends, training most days after school, my dad drove miles and miles every week after he worked long shifts to take me to clubs further away to find the best training opportunities and training partners. I wouldn’t be where I am today without the support of my family especially through those early years of developing in the sport.
“To me, Judo has always been a foundation to come back to, I am very fortunate to have a great support network around me. Judo has shaped me as a person, its taught me discipline, hard work and resilience from such a young age. Some of the best moments of my life are because of Judo.”
On what’s next, Laura said: “My main goal is to continue making myself, my club and the University of Chichester proud. I’d love the opportunity to compete abroad again and experience international competition, while taking advantage of any opportunities that come my way. I also want to continue representing the University of Chichester and focus on improving every day, both as an athlete and as a person.”
To find out more about the University’s Gifted Athlete Support Programme (GASP), visit: https://www.chi.ac.uk/student-life/sport-at-chichester/gifted-athlete-scholarship-programme/