British judoka Emma Reid already boasts one World Championship medal – now the 31-year-old hopes to upgrade the bronze she won two years ago to gold in Azerbaijan next month.
Reid, who grew up in Royston, Hertfordshire, will also use the event to step up her bid to qualify for the LA Olympics in two years’ time.
She defended her Commonwealth title in August, describing her victory as the “ultimate feeling” in her father’s home city of Glasgow.
The athlete is part of Team GB’s 12-strong judo squad heading to Baku.
After taking up judo aged five, Reid’s journey to the top is an unusual one. She has only been training full-time for 10 years.
But judo is in the blood.
“My mum and dad took me down to our local club in Royston,” she told the BBC.
“I immediately loved it. When I outgrew the club, my dad would drive me an hour an a half to train in Redbridge (East London) every week.
Aged 18, Reid studied at Coventry University before becoming a full-time athlete at 21. She now lives and trains in Walsall, which is home to the headquarters of the British Judo Association.
She made her Olympic debut in Paris two years ago, where she reached the round of 32.
Reid heads to the 2026 Baku World Senior Championships after an outstanding year and is one of the most in-form judoka in the British squad.
She secured the first European Championship medal of her career in April, winning silver in Tbilisi, Georgia, before going on to retain her Commonwealth crown.
She is in positive mood, as she bids for a second World Championship medal after coming third in Abu Dhabi in 2024.
“Going into the Commonwealth Games as the defending champion gave me more pressure,” she said.
“A different type of feeling to the first one (Birmingham 2022) but I was so glad I was able to win gold.
“People don’t see the journey and all the hard work that goes into it.
“It is great to know that despite the pressure, I could still perform and get results. It gives me great confidence.”
Reid trains five days a week, two to three times a day.
She admitted the squad did not really have an off-season. She is now at a World Championship training camp – alongside 11 other British athletes competing in Baku.
“I was a late developer and I wasn’t that successful as a junior but since turning 21, I am proud of what I have achieved,” she says.
“My body is holding up, so I can probably continue for a bit longer than some other people.
“I am excited for the next two years to see what I can do leading up to LA.
“I am fortunate that I have remained injury-free and have been able to train and compete almost non-stop, which has given me confidence and allowed me to build up consistency.”
Emma’s parents, Iain and Lesley Reid, who introduced her to the sport, have run Melbourn Judo Club at Royston Leisure Centre for 15 years.
The pair teach 138 members – aged six to 72.
They also run a class for older adults, British Judo’s Finding Your Feet initiative, in collaboration with the University of Hertfordshire and Anglia Ruskin University, which aims to improve balance and prevent fall-related injuries.
Lesley, 64, who won the 2025 Veterans World Judo Championships in the F7 -78kg category, said she was very proud of her daughter’s achievements.
“It is hard to believe she has got as far as she has,” she said.
“We are a small club here. She didn’t come through the standard route that most people come through to get to world class level.
“She is a bit of an anomaly when it comes to judo successes but we are all thrilled for her.”
Iain, 64, credited his daughter’s resilience, adding: “She never gave up.”
“She wasn’t a funded athlete at university,” he said.
“We wondered with university life and freshers’ fairs and so on, whether judo might peter out, but she kept it ticking over and that resilience has helped her become a success.
“She always bounces back, works out what needs to be done and how to improve.
“It’s why she is now an Olympian, plus a World, European and Commonwealth medallist, it is brilliant.”
Qualification for LA 2028 will ramp up at the World Championships, where Reid will test herself against some of the world’s leading judokas.
Colin Oates, who represented the British team at London 2012 and is now an Olympic programme coach, says Reid has what it takes to add to her tally of world medals.
“She has won one before. She definitely has it in her to perform on the biggest of stages,” he said.
“But judo is such a tough sport given the quality out there. If her head’s in the right place, she has every chance of winning a medal again.”
“I have short and long term dreams,” Reid says.
“I always wanted a World medal, I got that. I wanted a European medal, I got that. I also wanted to go to the Olympics.
“I have been ticking off my goals along my journey.
“Can I add my name to the list of past British winners? I would love that,” she said.
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