Bronze medal for physio student in latest chapter of Karate career

A student’s passion for karate has followed him to GCU as he looks to make his mark on the international stage.

First year Physiotherapy student Alasdair Grantham recently secured a bronze medal at BUCS (British Universities and Colleges Sports) and is now looking to follow up his podium appearance with Scotland later this year.

“When I was younger, I would always be play fighting with my big brother and chasing him about the house. My mum and dad saw there was a local karate club that ran a class called ‘Mini Ninjas’ and they decided to send me there when I was four or five years old – probably to try and calm me down!

“I actually trained there for years and progressed through my belts. The pandemic then hit and the club ended up closing down, but I decided to continue once everything opened back up again with Yamakai Karate Club in East Kilbride. That was when I met my current head coach. He was the one that really encouraged me to do competitions.”

After achieving his black belt at the end of 2022, Alasdair gained international recognition.

“Trying to get my black belt was quite a long process and really kept me motivated. There was a lot going on with the pandemic and my school classes being moved online, so having that as a motivation was really important.

“I then started getting involved in a lot of different tournaments. I competed in the Karate Scotland Grand Prix and a lot of events in the north of England. That was really important for me because I didn’t have a lot of competitive experience before that.

“It really helped build my confidence and actually led to me being invited to train with the national team, which has been pretty surreal. I’ve now been training monthly with people who are european champions, world medalists and commonwealth medalists - it’s crazy to think about.

“It really has been a great way for me to get my foot in the door and basically show that I’m here and wanting to be at that level. Don’t get me wrong, I was very nervous at first, but you quickly become more comfortable. I’ve now got some amazing friends through being involved with the national team.”

Alasdair got the chance to represent Scotland in 2024 at the European Championships in Tbilisi.

“I came up against a really strong competitor from Luxembourg, who I think ended up just missing out on a medal, but it was a great experience overall.

“It’s a completely different mentality going from local tournaments to competing internationally. A lot of these countries have quite a bit of funding behind them and some are professional athletes. It’s been quite a shift for me from doing it as a hobby to doing it at national level, but it’s one I’m getting more and more used to.”

With international experience behind him, Alasdair wants to use his time at university to continue his progression.

“GCU doesn’t have a karate club or anything like that, but I’ve still been able to use my time here to develop. The Arc has a really good gym and it’s free for students which is just an amazing incentive. It’s ideal if I’m just coming out of class or if I need another quick session.

“I had also heard about BUCS through some of my teammates who are at different universities. I was interested in applying as soon as they told me – especially when they mentioned getting to go to the European Universities Games as a result.

“I knew I wanted to represent GCU because I’ve never had the chance to represent another club outside of my own.”

Alasdair travelled to the BUCS event in Sheffield with his coach and admits he felt a different kind of pressure being part of Team GCU.

He explained: “It’s funny because when I’m with my club or national team it feels like you’re part of a big squad which really helps the nerves. I probably felt a bit more tense at BUCS than I normally would.

“I fight in the +84kg category, which is really varied because you can get people that are like 6-foot-7. I won my first two fights and then came up against a guy from Nottingham in the semi final. He ended up sneaking it, but I think I was quite unlucky.

“I ended up in the bronze medal match but actually won it by default because the person I was meant to be facing ended up injured. I didn’t want to win a bronze medal in that way but there’s only so much you can do. I was a bit disappointed overall at the time because I wanted silver or gold, but I’ve watched my performances back and I’m happy overall with how I performed.”

With a long career ahead of him, Alasdair has his sights set on more success.

“I would love to be on the podium at a major international competition – that’s probably my next goal. I’m looking to be selected for the European Universities Games and would love to represent the UK in that.

“There is also the Under-21 World Championships in September, which is being held in Poland. Any progression with the national team is great, and I’ve got my sights on that. I would also love to feature at the Commonwealth Karate Championships, especially with it being held in Glasgow this year. I’ve just missed out on the last two occasions and I now feel like I’m better placed to compete.

Alasdair added: “The aim is basically to stay in the national team for as long as I can and win as many medals as I can.”

By Ross Clark

Achieved something related to your course or in your personal life? Email me at Ross.Clark@gcu.ac.uk