Judo is about to take Mekhi Reddick to a new place.

The member of the Kanokai Judo Club based in Mount William has qualified to join a provincial contingent of about 10 athletes who will attend 2025 the Matsumae Cup and Training Camp which will take place February 15-18, 2025 in Denmark. 

Reddick is in the 55-kilogram weight division. He said he is looking forward to the instruction and competitions that the camp will feature.

“There’s a lot of competitions,” he said. “Europe is more into judo than North America is, but we’ll see what the outcome is.”

Reddick is scheduled to travel to Denmark on Feb. 13, but he’s not looking forward to the flight.

“Airports are frustrating,” he said. “It’s a 10-hour flight to Denmark, so that will be pretty rough.” 

In 2024, Judo Nova Scotia created a provincial training group for competitive (Under-16 and above) high-performance athletes from the province. Reddick is one of just 17 athletes selected to join the group. 

He is required to travel regularly for training that will take place at NUMA (Nova United Martial Arts) in Halifax, where he has practised for several years.

Reddick has been studying judo since he was six years old at the Kanokai club. He is currently a blue belt judoka and has trained and fought competitively across Canada, including provincial, national and international competitions.

“The coaches are great,” he said. “They help a lot.”

He competed last fall at the Quebec Open in November and an Ontario event in early October. He has been to national championships in Quebec for the last three years and looks forward to the 2025 Nationals in Calgary. 

Reddick said he likes the rapport judo encourages among its participants compared to the trash talk he has experienced watching other sports.

“If someone beats you, you show respect and can still be friends. I like that. I talk to friends all across Canada.”

He has reached out by letter to local businesses and organizations for support. He said financial restrictions have put his goals of training and travel beyond his reach.

“It’s been going pretty good,” he said. “We’re not there yet but I think we’ll get there.”