Judo sensation Gemma Howell inducted into Wolverhampton Hall of Fame
It was a special evening for former judo star Gemma Howell yesterday as she was inducted into the Wolverhampton Hall of Fame.
The Wolverhampton Judo Club member drew the curtain on an illustrious career at the end of 2023, after competing at two Olympic Games and winning a gold medal at the 2022 European Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria.
She fought a constant battle with injury throughout her career, undergoing no fewer than 12 operations, and Howell is honoured to see her hard work receive local recognition.
Howell says: "I'm super grateful to have been asked to do this. It is a real honour and it's nice of them to recognise the hard work and everything that I put in.
"I'm proud to have come from Wolverhampton Judo Club so it's a really nice, special acknowledgment."
After 145 contests, Howell waved an emotional goodbye to the sport at the age of 33.
Howell, who has since swapped the judo mat for the classroom as a qualified teacher, feels it was time to stop, although had injury not forced her hand, she might very well have battled on.
"I realised I don't think I was ever going to be able to stop judo because I tried after the Commonwealth Games and I wasn't able to stop crying," she reveals.
"I felt like I'd broken my own heart so it obviously wasn't the right thing. I came back and then my bicep tendon snapped.
