Alan Campbell

Alan is the club's President but, perhaps more importantly, along with Arthur Mayo, he is Kendal Judo Club's founder member.

Nineteen year old Alan took up judo after going to a demonstration of the sport given by Bill Armstrong from Barrow Judo Club in the YMCA in Highgate (the big building opposite the bedding shop) in 1957.

Along with Peter Llewellyn as instructor the club was formed in 1958 using old, hard, bed matresses in the YMCA. Other members of the flegling club included Helen and Jennifer Ford, Jack Mayor, Peter Phazackerly (he came from Ulverston) and Maurice Albon from Lancaster (Maurice, a lightweight, was the first KJC player to ever get on the National Squad.)

Eventually the matresses were replaced by thin rubber squares (about a quarter thickness to those were now have at the club)with a wooden frame to keep them together. This was even further improved at a later date with a canvas cover.

The club moved to the Blue Coat School in 1964 and, also with Alan's connection's as a member of the Youth Council and the local 'Tech College' he started a series of Night School classes which lasted for five years and introduced the sport to a large number of people in Kendal.

The Highlight of Alan's competitive career was when he won eleven out of thirteen contests in one day and got into the last six of the British Trials in 1975 along with Dave Starbrook (who won a bronze medal in the 1972 Olympic Games), Peter Donnelly (British Team Captain in 1975), Roy Inman MBE, British Women's team manager and currently a member of the BJA Board of Directors. Alan also got enough points for his 2nd Dan at the same time.

Alan was also in Kendal's 'It's A Knockout' team which won a BBC British heat and went to Solothurn, to take part in 'Jeux Sans Frontierre.'

Despite a debilitating illness which he has fought as hard as he fought his judo contests Alan has kept, and still keeps, a fatherly eye on the club and the progress of its members.