URMSTON judo player Lauren Wigglesworth has made a successful return to the sport after an absence on nearly 20 years, winning a bronze medal at a championship in the Midlands.

Wigglesworth, who is totally blind, began judo in the Urmston Judo Club at the George Carnall Centre between the ages of five and 16 under the expert tuition of Steve Pullen OBE, who was one of the main movers in setting up blind judo in the country and making it into a paralympic sport.

She is now 34 years old and said: “I returned to judo about four months ago and worked with Steve again and he soon got me back to loving the sport and helped me win the bronze in the latest championships.

“My aim now is to make the 2024 Paralympic Games, improve my judo gradings and win some gold medals along the way.

“I am a volunteer worker for the Guide Dogs for Blind and Help for Heroes charities and am really enjoying judo again.”

Steve Pullen added: “Lauren has come back with great enthusiasm and wanted to learn.

"She moves around with great confidence and that’s because of judo.”