Legacy was the buzzword of London 2012, and more than a decade on, Summer Shaw is readytotake that Olympic inspiration and run with it.
The 20-year-old judoka from Surrey got the Games bug when she met Karina Bryant, a bronze medallist back in London, who cametovisit Summer’s judo club in Camberley.
From that moment on, Shaw knew exactly what she wantedtoachieve – although it was only a broken collarbone at the age of eight that set her on the pathtothe dojo.
Priortothat point, she had been a keen gymnast, but during her time off the mat, Summer discovered a new sport.
She said: “My older brother Scott did judo, so instead of goingtomy gymnastics I was stuckwatching his class on Tuesday nights. My parents were like ‘you would really like it’ but I was really hesitant at first, saying that I’m not doing it.
— SportsAid (@TeamSportsAid) November 25, 2024SportsAid is delighted to reveal the top 10 athletes on the shortlist for this year’s One-to-Watch Award!
The annual award, supported by Aldi, the charity’s Official Supermarket Partner, was launched in 2006 and shines a spotlight on the stories behind Britain’s brightest young… pic.twitter.com/Y8ME3qx9Rn
“I ended up starting in 2012. A girl from my judo club, Karina Bryant, had got a bronze medal in London. She came backtothe club and did a little Q&A for our summer fair. I saw this big shiny medal and thought ‘I want in’.
“So we asked her some questions, then my parents asked me if I wantedtodo judo. I said if they bought me a judo kit. I was a bit inspired by the Olympic dream.”
From that first spark, Summer has never looked back, and is now ranked as the world’s fifth best -48kg junior judoka, as well as being second in Europe.
During a recent training camp in Japan, she received confirmation of her selection for the upcoming European Under-23 Championships, the latest big challenge after a year full of them.
These remarkable achievements have ledtoSummer being shortlisted in thetop10 forSportsAid’s prestigiousOne-to-WatchAward.
The annual Award, launched in 2006, recognises Britain’s brightest young sporting prospects and has previously been won by Olympic championsTom Daley and Alex Yee and Paralympic gold medallist Hollie Arnold.
Thetop10 athletes have been selected from around1,000 rising stars, supported bySportsAid, across more than 60 different sports in 2024.
— #WeAreGBJudo🇬🇧🥋 (@BritishJudo) November 25, 2024Big news! British Judo’s rising star, Summer Shaw, has been named a finalist for @TeamSportsAid prestigious One-to-Watch Award! 🥋
This award celebrates the UK’s brightest young talents, with a legacy of champions like Tom Daley and Alex Yee. Summer’s journey began at Camberley… pic.twitter.com/xekYmD4XNT
Summer has a 70 percent win rate in her 27 matches this year, and won two golds, two silvers, andonebronze in the Junior European Cups circuit. Upon reflection, she calls her European Cup victory in Berlin her best performance.
She said: “At the time, I was still pretty high up the world rankings at number eight, but the girl who got silver was number seven so she was higher than me.
“Oneof the girls who got bronze, she won the Europeans after. Being on the podium with players who are obviously good - and at thetop of the podium in that situation - definitely gave me a lot of confidence.”
What is most impressive about what Summer has achieved is that she is doing all this while combining it with her studies.
Currently in her second year of a biology degree at the University of Birmingham, Summer does not have a great deal of free time, having insteadtoplay catch-up on studies for any classes she misses while she is away competing.
She added: “I’ve always been academic, but obviously balancing a hard degree like that with a full-time training schedule is very tiring.
— SportsAid (@TeamSportsAid) November 27, 2024🏆 SportsAid's One-to-Watch Award shortlist: Summer Shaw 🏆
Legacy was the buzzword of London 2012, and more than a decade on, Summer Shaw is ready to take that Olympic inspiration and run with it.
The 20-year-old judoka from Surrey got the Games bug when she met Karina… pic.twitter.com/2Xhh8u2oeG
“You just make sure you’re doing all the little things like eating and sleeping well, and making sure you’re stretching and doing prehab before your sessions.
“And in those sessions, you havetomake the most of it and not be training for the sake of training, but with a sense of purpose.”
Long term, Summer would liketouse her degreetogo into curing diseases, but she has plenty of worktoachieve in judo before then.
The biggest goal istomake ittoLos Angeles in 2028. Summer was at the European Cup in Berlin this summer while the Paris Games were going on, admitting that the atmosphere in the French capital would have been incredibletobe a part of.
And with her university studies settofinish just as qualification for the next Olympics ramps up, her pathtothetop is clear.
She said: “The plan istoget uni done so when the time comestotry and qualify for LA I can fully focus on the judo. With every sportsperson the numberonegoal istobe the best in the world.
“I wanttoqualify, compete and win in LA and Brisbane.”
Beyond the Olympic rings, she is still focused on her short-term future. Summer mentioned her desiretogotothe 2026 Commonwealth Games, which just announced their inclusion of judo among the10 sports in Glasgow.
She said: “It’s really exciting because in the Commonwealths where there are a fewer nations, England and Scotland do really well.
“So hopefully we get a strong team and we can get the gold, plus you’d probably go into it asoneof the favouritestoo.
“I’m currently the best in my weight group in the country so hopefully that doesn’t change in the next two years and that is another goal for metolookto.”
Summer has been provided with crucial financial support bySportsAidover three years – with the charity also offering personal development opportunities through workshops and visits.
The typical value of aSportsAidaward is £1,000 with money generated through a combination of commercial partnerships, trust and charitable funds, and fundraising activities.
— SportsAid (@TeamSportsAid) October 10, 2024🌍💚🌍💚
To mark World Mental Health Day 2024, Amber Anning, Bradly Sinden, Emily Campbell, Leon Taylor and Ross Cullen shared with us the most challenging moments in their careers and how they best manage their emotions during difficult times.
They touch upon the impact of… pic.twitter.com/jGrjO8FBNr
Her success has not gone unnoticed, and her focus for the rest of the year, in additiontothe European Under-23s, Summer will be defending her British senior title.
She said: “I’m hoping I will win the British Championships at the end of the year because it’ll be my third time back-to-back.
“I won the juniors and seniors in 2022 and 2023,towin the seniors for the first time being in the proper age group for it, it’ll be good.
“You can’t betoo sure, but you’d hope I would still do it after two years in a row!”
SportsAid’s annualOne-to-WatchAward is being supported by Aldi – the charity’s Official Supermarket Partner. The winner of this year’s Award will be revealed in December with each of thetop10 receiving cash boosts and special in-person visits at their training environmentstocelebrate their achievements.
