Future Star nominee – Ellie Burndred
Future Star nominee – Ellie Burndred
A Staffordshire Moorlands high school student has been selected for the Great Britain Ju Jitsu squad, carrying on an impressive family tradition.
Ellie Burndred, aged 14, from Oakamoor, has had a love of Ju Jitsu and Judo from an early age and regularly helped out at her local club, Tatsu Dojo, where her mum Tara is Head Coach. It’s an environment that is inclusive, supportive and which has created a number of national and world champions. Indeed, Tara has twice been Ju Jitsu World Champion and now helps to run the Cresswell-based club.
Tara has noticed Ellie’s love for the sport blossoming over the years, with the knock-on effect of making Cheadle Academy pupil Ellie more determined than ever to support others who attend.
Ellie not only helps and volunteers at Tatsu Dojo – she also encourages others to follow in her footsteps too.
As her mother said: “It is an inspiration to see her blossoming in her sport. Ellie is now a 2nd Dan Junior Black Belt and junior instructor at the club. She is amazing!”
Ellie trains locally on a daily basis, including extensive gym sessions, and attends national training in Warrington.
Over the last year she was selected for the GB Nationals from which she was invited to attend GB Training and Ellie was then selected for the Great Britain squad.
She recently entered the Welsh Jitsuka Open and came away with two gold medals, cementing her place firmly in the squad and Ellie will be competing in Belgium at the start of 2026 for GB – a chance, if she does well, to then compete on the world stage.
Tara said: “Ellie’s commitment to what she does is total. She is so focused – from training, to nutrition, to learning about the sport.
“She is now at a stage where she is competing on the European stage and hopefully on the global level very soon. She has set up a JustGiving page to help with funding, but she is also on the lookout for potential sponsors to help her to follow her dreams too.”
Ellie Burndred has been nominated in the Future Star category of the Your Heroes Awards.