Inductees

Bruce Kamstra (2001)

Judo Athlete

It seems judo has always been part of Bruce Kamstra’s life.
He has dedicated much of the last 20 years to the sport.
No doubt judo will continue to be part of his life for many years to come.

Kamstra was an accomplished competitor when he was nine years old. He had shown that hard work does pay and if you stay focused you can win. In 1984 he became a team member of Judo B.C. and in 1993 he became a provincial Team Leader, a position he holds in the organization to this day. Kamstra has put a lot into his sport at the provincial level and once again hard work has paid off. He was Judo B.C. Male Athlete of the Year in 1995, 1996 and 1998. At the provincial level he received the Premiers Athletic Award for judo in 1995 and 1996.

Competition at the national level produced a series of medals and awards dating back to a silver medal at the Canadian High School Championships in 1989. In 1990 and 1991 Kamstra won bronze medals at the Canadian Junior National Championships. He became a member of the national team in 1993 and won a bronze medal at the Canadian National Championships that same year. After training in Montreal from 1993 to 1995 Kamstra's medals included another bronze at the Canadian Nationals in 1995, a silver medal at the Canadian Olympic trials in 1996 and a gold medal at the Canadian National Championships in 1998.

There have been many highlights for Kamstra at the international level of judo participation and many countries to which he has traveled with his sport, starting as a world high school championship alternate in 1989. During the 1990s there were competitions and time spent training in Japan. More competitions followed -- the U.S. Open a couple of times, tournaments in Bulgaria and Korea. The international highlights culminated with the Pan American Championships in Puerto Rico in 1996, being named as an Olympic Games alternate in 1996 and participation at the British Open in 1997.

Kamstra may have retired from competition, but he certainly has not retired from judo in Prince George. As a volunteer he has put his Level 1 National Coaching Certification program to work assisting as a B.C. Winter Games coach, doing demonstrations at UNBC for Japanese Cultural Days and conducting demonstrations in Prince George and area elementary and secondary schools. His focus has changed from that of a competitive judo athlete to that of a competitive coach of young athletes. It still takes hard work and focus. It does pay off and Kamstra will be instrumental in the achievements of many young judo athletes in the years to come.