Olympian Powell swaps judo for golf

Natalie Powell is a former world judo number one

As sporting transitions go, swapping judo for golf is not the most obvious change that springs to mind - and Natalie Powell acknowledges that.

The 34-year-old former world judo number one works as a pathway and high performance officer at Wales Golf, the national governing body of amateur golf in Wales.

Quite a contrast from her previous sporting life, but Merthyr-born Powell knows a thing or two about elite sport.

As an Olympian, as well as a world and European medallist, she has been tasked with helping push through the next generation of Welsh golfers, though admits her own skill on the course is still a work in progress.

"I've never been a golfer, but I am closer to being a golfer now than I ever was," said Powell.

"I've been to the driving range a few times in the last few weeks and we actually had a wellbeing day with the Wales Golf team which was really nice, my first experience on a proper golf course. I can definitely see how people get the bug for it."

Powell started with Wales Golf 10 months ago and said she is "really enjoying it".

"It's such a great environment, the sport is great, the people are great and it's nice to do something different after doing judo for so many years," she added.

"It's definitely not something I would have predicted maybe a year, even 18 months ago. It is such a great second sport.

"With judo I couldn't fight forever, my body wouldn't allow me to do that, whereas with golf it's not so taxing on the body and a lot more taxing on the mind which I think makes it a perfect transition from high intensity sport".

Moving on from judo

In 2017, Powell became the first female British judoka to be ranked number one in the world by winning a gold medal at the Abu Dhabi judo Grand Slam.

Powell sees this as her crowning achievement, in addition to winning Commonwealth gold at the Glasgow games in 2014, as well as world and European bronze medals.

And while the passion for judo still burns brightly - she coaches youngsters at the Cardiff Judo Academy - Powell remembers the moment when she realised that her competitive career was coming to an end.

It was the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, the "Covid games" which should have taken place a year prior, where Powell failed to achieve a podium place.

"I think the transition probably started after Tokyo. I put my heart and soul into Tokyo and it didn't pan out the way I'd hoped," said Powell.

"The year following Tokyo, I was very much one foot in, one foot out and I probably didn't want it as much as I previously had done. It had always been judo, judo, judo, that was it, that was life and I think after Tokyo, I had the kind of realisation that maybe it's time to step into something else."

Having achieved a degree in biomedical science and a masters in advanced coaching Powell said her focus was shifting.

"I was starting to get experiences in terms of doing talks in schools and starting to broaden my horizons outside of the judo and then I was very fortunate with my coach Darren [Warner], he was always thinking about that too, so he was always thinking how he could help me and having the conversations early.

"I think by the time it came I was very much ready to make that step. For 26 years my life has very much been judo, and in the last 15 it's been intensely judo, so the transition was definitely scary but I was really lucky that I had such great support from my coach, my family and my friends.

"I coach Cardiff Judo Academy and run classes two or three nights a week so it's really good and really nice to still be connected with the judo community because that's given me so much".

Helping the next generation

Powell has joined Wales Golf at an exciting time. The female game in Wales will no doubt be boosted by the arrival of the world's best players in July, with the Women's Open at Royal Porthcawl.

With Porthcawl member Darcey Harry qualifying for the tournament by winning the 2025 Belgian Ladies Open, Powell and her Wales Golf colleagues hope the 22-year-old is the first of many promising young Welsh talents coming through.

"It's incredible and Darcy winning [in Belgium] that's just the icing on the cake really. To see her perform in Porthcawl is going to be incredible for golf, Wales golf and everybody involved really," enthused Powell who says she has three different projects.

"We're trying to do a coaching programme at the moment to upskill the level of coaches in the country, which is really exciting.

"Putting a pathway in place to give the kids the best chance of getting from club level right up to the elite Welsh national team.

"And then acting as a mentor with some of the former players and hopefully helping them with my experience and giving them someone to talk to and get advice from.

"I think it's just really nice to give back and not escape the sporting world because that's always been my passion".