Brazilian jiu-jitsu coach Kevin McAloon wins NOGI British Open gold just 20 weeks after breaking ankle while fellow SBG Moray fighter Dylan Jackson is also crowned British champ

Kevin McAloon is a master in overcoming adversity, as his success story in the grappling sport of Brazilian jiu-jitsu has proved.

The 30-year-old SBG Moray martial arts coach recently won gold at the NOGI British Open, just 20 weeks after breaking his right ankle in a competition.

McAloon actually competed with a fracture last July, not knowing he had broken a bone during his IBJJF (International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation) London Open semi-final before going on to win his final.

While most people would have written off the rest of their competitive year because of the injury, McAloon worked hard on his recovery and returned to action at the European Championships in Rome, four months after sustaining his break.

He was unable to medal in Italy and had little expectation of success when he entered the British Open in Coventry three weeks later while battling illness and a new rib injury.

However, he overcame all the odds to defeat all opponents and claim the gold, and he was joined on top of the podium by SBG Moray colleague and relative newcomer Dylan Jackson (22).

McAloon hopes the pair's success on the national mats can inspire his club to gain even more success in 2023.

"If you had said to me at the time I broke my leg (July 10) that I could just be competing later that year, I would have been happy with that," McAloon said.

"Obviously I was even happier when I won it. The guy I beat in the first round won silver at the Europeans and I felt I had beaten my hardest opponent on the day. I won all my other matches and didn’t get a point scored on me so it was a great feeling.

"Dylan has been training with us for less than a year and he has won the British Open. When I looked at his division there were 20 guys in there and I am recognising some of the biggest gyms in the UK and every nation, big and successful teams.

"That can easily get in the mind of a junior competitor but it didn’t for him. It was really good to see him do so well.

"It is easy to think that you come from this small club and have the mindset that you are up against someone from a big club and that you aren’t meant to do well at these things.

"So for us to get two gold medals at a major event, hopefully it encourages more members to see they don’t just have to go to local tournaments but they can go further afield and do well."

McAloon revealed how he was in plaster and a moon boot for six weeks before resuming light training in the gym, working on his upper body strength while his leg recovered.

"I could walk around and weight bear, and although it was sore and kind of scary to do that, I tried to do it as much as I could.

"When I was out of plaster, all the muscle disappeared from my leg. It looked like a wee chicken breast, like the muscle was in a plastic bag hanging off my shin.

"The good thing about my sport is there is not a lot of running involved or the danger of a tackle like you would get in football, for example. In our sport with grappling you can be leaning on someone and moving around so there is not so much running through the ankles.

"So after eight or nine weeks I got myself back in light training doing little bits and being careful back on the mats. I managed to slowly progress.

"At 17 weeks I went to Rome to do the European Championships. I won my first match and lost my second and I was really disappointed when I went there because I thought I could do much better.

"People told me to give myself a break but I wasn’t doing it to use excuses if I lost, because I should have done better.

"I realised my full confidence wasn’t there, I wasn’t competing confidently. I felt it taught me a lesson but I learned I could still compete at that level."

While in Rome, McAloon got engaged to his girlfriend Kirsty and admitted there were some meals out and celebrations over the days that followed.

"By the time the British Open came round I had picked up a bit of a rib injury and I felt terrible.

"I had a cold and had been on antibiotics for a wisdom tooth infection and if anything else had got in my way I would have just said I couldn’t do it.

"I was taking painkillers before I went on as my ribs and my mouth was sore but I managed to get by in my matches.

"I wasn’t even thinking about my ankle. In jiu-jitsu you can do moves that directly attack the ankle or the legs with submissions which would directly put pressure on the bones or joints that you injured.

"That was in the back of my mind and at the British Open people did attack my legs but I was OK.

"Part of me wondered if it was wise going back into competition so soon but I knew I had to get back on the horse in that sense.

"I love competing, I love Brazilian jiu-jitsu and I couldn’t overthink the what-ifs, so I just got on with it. I didn’t think about my ankle, I just focused on winning each round.

You can’t feel sorry for yourself. I had something to come back to, I told myself 'this is not going to be the end of me' and hopefully I could be better than I was before.

What we teach in the club is overcoming challenges. What happens to you, you can’t always control but showing a good attitude was really important."

Brown belt McAloon and white belt Jackson both won at the same medium heavy weight, while young club colleague Ethan Nicolson won a bronze in Coventry.