Elliot Stewart Trades the Dojo for the Classroom

Elliot Stewart has today announced his retirement from judo. Stewart won Tokyo 2020 Paralympic silver last year to add to the 2018 World Championship and 2019 European Championship bronze medals.

At the age of 28, whilst studying for a degree in Sports Coaching, Stewart noticed his sight starting to deteriorate. Initially putting it down to ‘getting older’, the following three months his sight faded considerably.

He was diagnosed with keratoconus, a condition that causes the cornea to weaken, Stewart’s family rallied together to fund an operation to save what sight he had remaining.

Following the diagnosis Stewart lost his job teaching judo in local schools as he could no longer drive. However, following the operation Stewart’s dad, 1988 Seoul Olympic judo bronze medallist, Dennis, suggested he try competing as a visually impaired judoka with the British Judo VI team.

Stewart made his British Judo VI debut at the IBSA European Championships in Walsall in 2017. A competition that he highlighted as a standout moment when reflecting upon his career: “My first European Championships in Walsall, whilst I finished 5^th, it set the standard of what I was capable of achieving.”

World and European Championship bronze medals followed in 2018 and 2019 respectively. Whilst in Tokyo Stewart went one step further than his dad in 1988, winning silver in a hotly contested -90kg category.

Stewart defeated world number one, Oleksandr Nazarenko (UKR) to make the Paralympic final, which was the second career highlight Stewart will look back on fondly: “There are two fights against world number one, Nazarenko that really stand out. He beat me at the European Championships in the semi-final, but I beat him in Tokyo to reach the Final. That showed me just how far I have progressed in my career.”

Reflecting upon his career, Stewart said: “I am leaving the sport in a really good place. I have had a great career and I am so proud to have been given the opportunity to represent my country and my family on the biggest stages the sport has to offer.

“I am walking away having had no major injuries and I am looking forward to starting the next chapter in my life.”

That next chapter involves Stewart going back to school as he trades the dojo for the classroom: “I have always wanted to be a teacher, so when the opportunity arose for me to start my PGCE, I jumped at that. I finish in July and the goal is to then get a job as a PE teacher. I am a living example of what sport can give to somebody, and I want to repay that as much as possible.”

 Stewart is also looking forward to spending some well-earned time with his family who have supported him throughout his career: “I have had the full support of my family throughout my career and we were all involved in the discussion around my future, I would not be where I am today without their support.

“They have given so much to allow me to achieve my dream and I can’t wait to make that time back and spend as much time with them as possible.”

Speaking about what he is going to miss the most, Stewart said: “I will really miss the team and that elite environment. Everybody from the fighters to the staff, everybody has supported me on this journey, and I will miss being around them”

Ronnie Saez, Chairman of British Judo leads the tributes to Stewart saying: “Elliot has been a fantastic ambassador for visually impaired judo and will leave a big hole within British Judo. His story will have inspired a range of judoka to step onto the mat and we will always be grateful for his contribution both on and off the mat.

“I will always remember the moment he defeated Nazarenko to book his place in the Paralympic final and secure a Paralympic medal to add to the World and European medals he had already secured.

“I would like to thank UK Sport and the National Lottery that have helped fund Elliot’s journey to success. We are saddened we will not see him grace a judo mat again but wish him every success for the future.”

British Judo Performance Director Nigel Donohue: “Elliot has been a fantastic fighter for British Judo, both on and off the mat. Having first competed in in his first visually impaired event in 2017 – the Senior European Championships, where he finished a very credible 5^th place, he quickly made progress through the Tokyo cycle in being one of the most exciting fighters to watch compete and went on to win a European and World bronze medal on his way to the Paralympic Games. In Tokyo, Elliot won a fantastic silver medal, but his semi-final contest will long live in the memory where he defeated the formidable world No.1 and current World Champion, Nazarenko of Ukraine, to earn his place in the final. This was by far one of the standout performances of our Tokyo Games across both the Olympic and Paralympic Games. 

 “Off the mat, Elliot is a dedicated family man and true professional. With his personal life experiences outside of Judo, he helped support and develop the Performance Programme as a whole, through his work ethic, personal standards and leadership qualities. Elliot truly lived the values of the GB Judo Way.

 “We wish Elliot all the very best on his retirement and his future career as a teacher. Going forwards we hope that Elliot can support our Para Potential programme to inspire the next generation of VI fighters and visit the National Training Centre to pass on his experiences to support the preparation of our Paris Team. Elliot is and has been a fantastic Judoka and British Judo is extremely proud of his achievements and have no doubt that he will be a great success in his future career.”

Ian Johns, British Judo Paralympic Head Coach reflected on the years he and Stewart have worked together: “Elliot was like a big brother to the rest of the team and his loss will certainly be felt within the squad. From the moment he joined the team he has pushed his teammates to achieve more, taking on the role of team leader, which resulted in him earning the nickname ‘El Capitan’!

“I am so proud of what Elliot achieved in Tokyo. I remember saying to Nigel (Donohue) two days before Elliot fought ‘he will win a medal’, I didn’t know what colour, but I knew it would take a monumental effort to defeat him, and that is testament to all the hard work he, and the rest of the British Judo team, invested for that one day.

“Elliot is a fantastic role model, not just for Paralympic sport, but sport in general. He has never given up on his dream. His perseverance is to be admired and I am so proud to have been able to play a small part in helping him achieve his dream.”

Andrew Scoular, British Judo CEO, added: “It is always a sad day when an athlete announces their retirement. Elliot has been a fantastic servant, not only to the British Judo Visually Impaired team, but to Paralympic sport in general.

“Elliot’s performance in Tokyo will go down in British Judo history as he was part of that magical hour when Paralympics GB won two judo medals.

“We will all miss Elliot’s beaming smile, but I am sure that he will not be a stranger and we look forward to welcoming him back to the British Judo National Training Centre to continue inspiring the next generation of British judoka.”