Fundraising my way to the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow

My name is Joshua Whitehouse, a 23 year-old welsh Judoka (judo player) based in Swansea. I have been competing in Judo since I was 7/8 years-old and have been doing judo for around 17 years. It is my dream to compete at the 2026 Commonwealth Games held in Glasgow.

The criteria to compete at the Commonwealth games for the 2026 games are a tall order, especially as they are reduced games in 2026. This Commonwealth Games will only contain 10 sports with Sports Wales funding a maximum of 100 athletes across these individual and team sports. This means I am also competing for funding against individuals and teams. For Judo this will require successful performances across European cups and continental opens. As you can imagine these don't come cheap and usually cost around £400-£500 per competition. These costs include: entry fee as a competitor, Hotels for 1-2 nights, food, plane tickets, transport to the arena/airport/hotel, and other hidden fees.

My plan is to compete in a mixture of European cups and continental opens before May 2026. The first competition on the list for me is the Benidorm European Open 2025 17th-18th May! I plan to post updates throughout the year on here and on my social media pages. You can reach me on Instagram @ JoshWhitehouseJudo

With your help you can support an athlete and help me reach my dreams! This means so much to me and I would appreciate your support!