22 September 1959 - 30 August 2024
"He just had this incredible energy"
Roland, who was diagnosed with Plasma Cell Leukemia and Myeloma, died on August 30, after living with Plasma Cell Leukemia and Myeloma for several years.
He is survived by family members, his brother Patrick and his partner Rachel, who told the Bognor Regis Observer of his unquenchable thirst for life and his profound effect on the people he loved.
He was first diagnosed with Leukemia in 2013 and returned to Judo determined to make an impact, having been largely off the mats since 1996. Over the years to follow , he’d win a raft of major medals, including Silver at Wycombe Masters in 2015, Silver at the National Masters in Edinburgh in 2016, Gold at the High Wycombe Championships 2017 and Bronze at the Commonwealth Games in 2019 – all impressive achievements which, combined with his love of climbing, spoke to Roland’s determination to make the most of every second he had.
“Roland called Judo his therapy,” his partner Rachel said. “When his feet got on the mats, he could switch everything else off and just focus on Judo. It was a powerful antidote for him . He’d have blood transfusions and drive to Portsmouth, climb for an hour or two, then drive to Gosport and help teach Judo. He just had this incredible energy; he was so 100 per cent about everything, and it really inspired all of us who were closely connected with him.”
