Whakatāne siblings Lexi and Jayden Horton have returned from the national judo championships with a gold and bronze medal between them, capping off years of dedication to the sport.

Fourteen-year-old Lexi claimed gold in the senior girl's under 57kg division, while 15-year-old Jayden secured bronze in the cadet men’s under 81kg division.

Lexi’s goal heading into the championships was simple - to have fun and win a medal.

“It was really fun, and I made some new friends,” she said.

“Taking gold made the experience even more special. It felt amazing.”

Jayden was equally pleased with his podium finish, particularly given the age and experience of his opponents.

“It felt pretty good, as most of the people were older than me, and I was the youngest on the podium,” he said.

The siblings have both been practising judo for eight years, having first taken up the Japanese martial art at their mother’s suggestion.

She wanted them to learn self-defence while also getting involved in a sport.

They now train at least two or three times a week, attending both the Whakatāne and Tauranga clubs during tournament season.

At the Whakatāne club, they are coached by Kevin Mackey, whom they describe as a skilled teacher and valued friend.

“He’s really nice, like a family friend, and is a really good coach,” Lexi said.

“He’s got great skills and is really good at teaching, Jayden said.

Nationals are familiar territory for Lexi, who has competed at the event several times.

She enjoys the atmosphere and the friendships that have developed through competing regularly.

“Everyone is really nice and friendly, which makes it easier to get on the mat,” she said. “Even if they don’t know you, they still cheer for you.”

For Jayden it was a more daunting experience.

“Going to nationals can be pretty scary, especially in the South Island, as it’s a different area and you have to travel,” he said.

Despite the nerves, he enjoyed the challenge of testing himself against some of the country’s best judoka.

Both siblings draw inspiration from experienced athletes within their wider judo community.

Lexi looks up to Tauranga club judoka Maria Colina, admiring her strength and ability to hold her own against male training partners.

“She’s a small woman, but she’s really strong and can take down all the boys in training,” Lexi said.

Jayden’s role model is Finn Brown, a coach at the Tauranga club who competes in the senior division at Jayden’s weight and performs well in open-weight competition against much larger opponents.

Looking ahead, the siblings are preparing for a training camp in Palmerston North, followed by more competitions in July.

Lexi has big plans for the rest of the year.

“I want to earn my blue belt by the end of the year, continue competing and eventually progress to larger tournaments in Australia.”

Jayden has his sights set on an even bigger achievement over the next year or so.

“I want to earn selection for the New Zealand team.”

Both would love the opportunity to represent New Zealand internationally and plan to continue training hard to be ready for tournaments when competition begins again next year.

With eight years of experience already behind them, a national title for Lexi and a podium finish for Jayden provide further motivation as the Whakatāne pair work towards their next goals.