Winston Gordon
Wednesday 09 December 2009
Sporting role models don't come much better...
Winston Gordon was an ordinary South London schoolboy when he discovered a sport that was to change his life. Today, he is a middleweight judo champion with a Commonwealth Gold, as well as the Athens and Beijing Olympics under his belt.
Now, through Greenhouse, the 33-year-old has gone back to his roots at Ernest Bevin College in Tooting. The former pupil is the coach for a new generation of young people, living proof of the extraordinary heights that can be reached through hard work, determination and talent.
'Having the opportunity to come back and coach for Greenhouse has been great,' Winston says, 'so I can give something back where I first started.'
His aim is to be an inspirational coach who can make a difference to young lives, in the same way that his teacher changed his path all those years ago.
Winston, also a national gold medal winner, says: 'I am learning from other coaches and bringing my own experiences from all over the world. I just want to be the best I can be and give back to the youngsters as much as I can. I want to be a good role model - if they have problems they can come to me.'
Representing his country again in the 2012 Olympics may be an option, injuries permitting, but right now Winston's priority is coaching the Ernest Bevin boys and girls. 'They are loving it and I am loving it too!'
