Corey’s impressive judo story
Corey Lee is proud to join his father on the Welland Sports Wall of Fame.
The 38-year-old Welland native was inducted Sunday at a ceremony at the Seaway Mall where he joins his father, Chuck Lee, who was inducted in 2000 as an athlete and builder, judo.
“I wouldn’t be able to do it without my father’s passion and ambition and drive to keep going,” Corey Lee said. “My dad has put in a lot of time and effort to become a builder in this community, especially when it comes to judo and everything he’s done. He’s taught a lot of people and in turn I’ve done the same and I feel like I’ve taught a lot of people.”
Corey Lee said judo was a family affair beyond his dad.
“To my father and family who drove me countless hours to training and tournaments all over the province and all over Canada, I couldn’t be more thankful for that,” he said. “To the rest of my family, which has been growing over the last few years, thank you all for being along on my journey each step of the way and for my mom for being the glue that holds our entire family together, especially at dinner.”
Lee’s judo resume is impressive: gold medals at the Ontario Winter Games, Ontario Junior Olympics, Ontario Opens, Quebec Opens, American/Canadian International Judo Championships, Philadelphia Liberty Bell Tournament, 2001 National Championships and the 2002 National Championships.
He was also recognized as the 2002 Ontario James Worrall Award winner for athlete development and was Welland’s Athlete of the Year in 2000, 2001 and 2002.
“Judo has taught me more than just the skills to defending myself, it has also taught me discipline in my every day life to succeed and the drive and continue to have the determination to do what I love to do,” Lee said. “I’ve also developed some life long friends around the world from the competitions I’ve been to and I feel lucky to be part of that.”
Lee, who earned his first degree black belt in judo at 15, making him the youngest ever in Canada to achieve that status, was thrilled to return to his hometown to accept the award.
“Welland gave me a lot growing up, so yes, it’s a great honour to come back here,” he said. “Fighting for the community here was great. I had a lot of support from my friends and family growing up and it’s a great honour to be here today.”
He lives and works in Toronto where he owns a solar development company and construction company which focuses on mainly electrical tech work.
He is contemplating a return to the sport.
“I go to the gym often. I still love to work out and do judo sporadically but more recently have been getting back into it and considering maybe a masters return,” he said.
Lee was joined on the wall by Dan Girardi, a former National Hockey League defenceman with the New York Rangers and Tampa Bay Lightning, Lauren Aiello (rowing), Jack Ballantyne (builder, hockey), Steve Latinovich (hockey), Mike Rao (builder, basketball), Ray Sarkis (builder, Niagara College) as well as the 1973 Atlas Steels tyke baseball team, the 1977 Club Richelieu midget baseball team and the 2016 Jean Vanier girls basketball squad.
This year’s induction ceremony will be broadcast on YourTV Niagara Friday, May 10 at 7 p.m., Saturday, May 11 at 9 a.m. and Sunday, May 12 at 1 p.m.
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