Double Olympian and former World No 1 Natalie Powell has been inducted into the Welsh Sports Hall of Fame in recognition of her highly successful judoka career. The honour was presented at last week’s Road to Glasgow: Team Wales with the Welsh Sports Hall of Fame event at the Parkgate Hotel in Cardiff. Natalie, who currently works at Wales Golf as a Pathway and Performance Officer, made history in 2017 by becoming the first female British judoka to be ranked number one in the world, following a gold medal at the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games and a bronze medal at the 2017 World Championships. She has also represented Great Britain at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games and the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. Alongside her role at Wales Golf, Natalie also coaches the eight judo athletes selected to represent Wales at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Hannah McAllister, Chief Executive at Wales Golf, says: “It is a huge honour to be inducted into the Welsh Sports Hall of Fame, and we couldn’t be happier for Natalie to recognised in this way. “It is no secret that Natalie has had an exceptional career before joining our team two years ago, and we feel incredibly lucky to have such an inspiring role model for our staff and players.” Gareth Jenkins, Director of High Performance, adds: “Natalie has brought a unique cross-sport perspective, challenged our thinking and shared the habits, standards and mindset needed to perform at the highest level. Her experiences as an Olympian have been hugely inspiring for our players, who have benefited from learning from someone who has genuinely lived the journey to elite sport. “Her professionalism, passion and ability to connect with our athletes has made a lasting impact on our programme, and we’re delighted to see her receive this well-earned honour.” Commenting on her accolade, Natalie adds: “I feel very honoured to receive this award. It came as a complete surprise, and I’m incredibly grateful. Sport has given me so many amazing opportunities and experiences over the years, along with friendships and memories that I’ll always treasure. “I feel very fortunate to have been given the opportunity to work in such an established NGB as Wales Golf post my sporting career. The cross-sport learnings have been incredible, and to work with such a great bunch of people has been the icing on the cake.” Powell also has a degree in biomedical science and a Masters in advanced coaching. |
