BY JONATHAN MALLINSON
10 Nov, 2010 01:00 AM
IN 60 years only 11 people across Australia have been awarded the Australian Judo Federation life membership, but on Saturday Ulverstone judo veteran John Deacon became number 12.Deacon was told of his life membership after attending the Australian Judo Federation annual general meeting on Saturday in Sydney."I knew I had been nominated, but as there have only been 11 in 60 years I didn't know how it would go."But I am pretty happy with it, even if it gets judo up a bit then that's a good thing," Deacon said yesterday.Deacon is the first Tasmanian to receive a national life membership to go along with being the first and only seventh Dan black belt in Tasmania.
The life membership has been a long time in the making for Deacon, who has spent the last half a century involved in the sport.Deacon began practising judo in 1958 and quickly learned all the skills he needed.At 17 he began coaching before moving on to bigger events.Deacon was a multiple state champion, a placegetter at the Australian Judo Championships and won the state open weight championship when he was 38 before retiring from competition.Deacon has had a number of international roles - from a delegate on the Australian Olympic Committee, secretary- treasurer on the Commonwealth Games Association and he was a Commonwealth Games Association board member.