Darwin teen wins gold at Oceania and Pacific Games for Australia

From sparring with her older brother as a kid to winning gold for Australia, Darwinite Alannah Joyce ends the 2023 season with a bag of gold.

Alannah Joyce (second from left) with the Australian team after they won gold in the team event at the Pac Games. Picture: Darwin Judo Club

From mucking around in the dojo as a kid to winning gold for her nation, Darwin teen Alannah Joyce is a force to be reckoned with.

Introduced to the sport as a child by her older brother and godfather, Joyce didn’t fully immerse herself in the world of judo until she was a teenager.

“Originally I’d tag along with my brother to his training and then as I got a bit older I’d go once a week to my own training sessions,” she said.

“I was around 13 when I started training multiple times a week and committing myself to the sport.”

Under the tutelage of her godfather, Joyce plied her trade in the Top End until her talent was recognised by the Australian national team, who gave her a spot in the nation’s junior development squad.

“Last year was a big year for me,” Joyce said.

“I won the gold medal at Australian juniors for my age and weight class.

“Then I moved down to Melbourne at the start of this year, so I could be closer to the Australian team and coaches.”

Alannah Joyce at the Oceania Games in Perth where she took out gold in her class. Picture: Judo NT Facebook.

A monumental change of lifestyle and a bit of a hectic adjustment for the 18-year-old, Joyce said the move helped her greatly along her journey.

“It was definitely a drastic change but it’s proved to be worth it,” she said.

“I was at the Pan Am games and I was really disappointed with my performance.

“So I came back to Melbourne, got stuck into my training and got myself back on track ahead of the Oceania Games (in Perth).

“And that period of hard work really worked, I came away with the gold and I’m super proud of my performance.”

Following her success at the Oceania comp, Joyce explained the achievement and resetting was the perfect platform headed into the Pac Games in the Solomon Islands.

“The win in Perth, along with me moving up a weight division really put me in both a great mental and physical state to compete,” Joyce said.

“I performed well and got the gold in my class and I was also happy with my performance in the open class, where I narrowly missed out on the bronze against a fellow Aussie.

“I also was part of Team Australia that won in the team event, so that was extra cool to come away with two golds.”

Now back on home soil, the rising talent has her sights set on a quiet holiday period before getting back into the action in the new year.