Budokan Judo Club is proud to have nominated Dale Keogh through Judo NSW to Judo Australia for Life Membership. A maximum of 2 JA Life Memberships are awarded each year. Together with Judo Australia, we are both pleased and honoured to congratulate Dale on her Life Membership of Judo Australia. Dale is an icon of the sport of Judo, a stalwart of Budokan Judo Club and a flawless role model.
- She began her judoka journey in 1956 and in just nine-years she had earned her 1st Dan Black Belt in 1965. Nearly four decades later, and Dale earned her 6th Dan Black Belt, a testament to her dedication and love of judo.
- In 1969, she established Castle Hill Judo Club in NSW, a precursor to the Budokan Judo Club Inc., and over the course of the past half century, Dale has remained actively engaged in the sport.
- As a student, she studied Judo in Japan, the birthplace of Judo, which has given her an unsurpassable breadth and depth of knowledge of the sport. As a competitor, she became a 10-time World Masters Champion in Shiai and Kata events between 1994 - 2012. As a coach, she has mentored countless athletes, attended the Nationals and each of the interstate Open competitions, supporting and developing club athletes competing in Queensland, Victoria and the ACT. As recognition of her efforts to judo in the NSW community, Dale was awarded life membership of Judo NSW in 2005.
- In 2018, Judo Australia appointed Dale to the Oceania Judo Union Kata Commission and the National Grades Commission and her significant contribution to community sport was recognised by Senator Richard Colbeck, Minister for Sport in his Highlight a Hero series and by Sport NSW with a Distinguished Service Award in 2021.
Her commitment to, and energy for Judo for over 60 years is incomparable in the Judo community and she is both highly respected and adored by all.