This week Bill Carne took a trip down to Neyland to talk to Connor McGarvie, who is following the family traditions in Judo at the local club, but also taking on the challenge of walking up some of the UKs highest peaks to raise funds for a worthy cause...

CONNOR McGarvie is the third generation of his family to be involved in the Neyland Judo Club and has recently shown the family fortitude by completing a walk taking in the Welsh Three Peaks Challenge to raise funds for a young relative who needs help to make his life more comfortable.

He was joined by his father Damon, who is a Black Belt Fourth Dan and runs the club, and Mark Guest, who is working towards a Black Belt First Dan, and offered to lend his expertise on the walks up to Snowdon summit, then on to Cader Idris and finishing up on Pen y Fan, the tallest of the Brecon Beacons.

At 16 years of age, Connor was understandably jubilant and has so far raised about £400 for Rudy's Trust, set up to help two year old Rudy Cole, who was born with multiple benign tumours and also suffers with epilepsy, gaining lots of support from family, friends and colleagues at Neyland Judo Club.

"I have to say a big thank you to my dad Damon and Mark Guest for helping me organise my Three Peaks Challenge," said Connor, "which I was determined to do after seeing them both complete a National Four Peaks Challenge last year along with other members of our judo club and some police men.

"I was too young to go then and had to focus on school work but when I asked my father about doing it this year he gave his full support and we had practice walks on the Pembrokeshire Coastal path from Newgale to Solva, around the Dale Peninsula and even up to Cader Idris as my walking improved.”

Then came the 'Big Weekend' and after driving up to Snowdonia they walked up the PYG track to the summit and came back down via the Miner's Track to their nearby bunkhouse before setting off the next day to Cader Idris and later to Pen y Fan to complete the triple challenge.

"The weather was brilliant," Connor told us, "and each time we reached a summit I felt so chuffed as I mentally ticked it off as completed."

On the judo front it was a racing certainty that Connor should be involved in Neyland because the club was started out by his grandparents Bill and Joyce McGarvie as long ago as 1968 after reaching Black Belt status with Sandy 'Skip' Buttle in Pembroke Dock.

Bill is still involved after passing the baton over to Damon and is a Third Dan Black Belt, whilst Joyce is a Brown Belt First Kyu and is being persuaded by the rest of the McGarvie clan to aim for Black Belt status via the technical grading route.

Connor would also be very quick to list his mother, Jenny Tamilia, as a great supporter, whilst his brother Tal Tamilia (11), Emmie (9) and Katie (7) are all involved at the judo club as well.

He was understandably involved from his time as a nipper and dad bought him the smallest judo suit imaginable when he was three years old. He was the first junior to be awarded a Dragon Junior Purple Belt, awarded after youngsters have earned three sets of five purple stripes, awarded for things like knowledge of the sport, terminology regarding moves, and demonstrations.

That automatically qualified him for his yellow belt and he has since progressed to orange and green before taking a break for his studies - but he is now back in action with a Blue Belt as his next challenge, alongside getting himself super-fit to represent Neyland Judo Club when they travel to the South of France next year to compete against twin club Sanguennet.

Outside of his judo and walking, Connor is a very keen cyclist, which is a great help as far as fitness is concerned, enjoys weight training and has taken up an interest in table tennis but it is now judo that will be the focal point of his sport - and he aims to set himself another challenge to raise further funds.

"I have spoken to dad about taking on the British Three Peaks Challenge of not only climbing up Snowdon, perhaps via a different route, but also climbing Ben Nevis as the highest mountain in Scotland and Scafell Pike as the highest in England.

"There is also talk amongst the older members of the club of doing the Four Peaks, which includes Carrauntoohil in Southern Ireland - and even the 'Survive Five' which includes Slieve Donard , the highest peak in Northern Ireland," Connor told us, "and I would love to join them because it is definitely a challenge I am up for!"

In the meanwhile, Connor is back in action at the judo club, training every Thursday and sometimes on a Tuesday too, and it is good to report that in the past he has sometimes helped with the Dragon under 8s youngsters as part of his Duke of Edinburgh bronze award - and will have completed his Silver Award once he completes the 'expedition' part of the challenge.

"I really enjoy training," said Connor, "with warm-ups that include stretching and running, followed by core exercises that include crawling backwards, or doing forward or backward roles along the full length of the hall - and you can guarantee we are nicely warm by then!

"Then we do circuits and practise moves with an opponent, chosen at random by dad, who picks someone to demonstrate as a help, and finish off with a 'warm-down' session, followed by a team game or fun exercise which everyone seems to enjoy."

Ask Connor about being part of the club and although he might be accused of a McGarvie bias he would be quick to say,

"It is a great family club where everybody is treated equally and where those taking part of any age can gain good judo qualifications through showing self-discipline but having fun at the same time.

"All anyone has to do is just turn up on training nights and they are guaranteed a warm welcome from everyone – and they won't be sorry if they are prepared to work hard."

There is no doubt that Connor McGarvie is an example of the good that Neyland Judo Club does, not only on the judo mat but through high standards off it - as he recently proved with his caring attitude in raising funds for such a worthwhile cause!