Derry man secures gold medal at World Karate Championships

Damien Cooley has returned to Derry with a gold medal from the WUKF Karate World Championships in Romania.

Damien has trained in karate for over 35 years across Ireland and England and has represented his country at World Championship level before.

“After training two or three times per day, winning a World title after so many years in the sport is something I’m incredibly grateful for. There have been plenty of setbacks along the way, which makes this medal even more special.”

At 45 years of age, he hopes his own experience highlights the importance of recovery for athletes and non-athletes alike.

The owner of X-Cellr8 Recovery & Performance was advised by doctors to consider missing the championships because of the risk of further injury.

He says the achievement almost never happened after a rib injury threatened to end his campaign just six weeks before the event.

“At one stage, I honestly didn’t think I’d make it to Romania,” Damien said. “The injury ruled me out of training for around three weeks, which doctors initially expected could be closer to six weeks, but I focused on recovering as safely and sensibly as I could.”

Using a combination of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, Red Light Therapy, PMST, PEMF and Shockwave Therapy, alongside a carefully managed rehabilitation programme, Damien was able to gradually return to sparring before travelling to compete.

“I’m very fortunate to have access to these recovery therapies every day through the clinic. They gave me the best opportunity to recover and prepare, and I genuinely don’t think I’d have been able to put in the amount of training I did without them.

“I am a Chartered Mechanical Engineer with a Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering which means I understand everything about how every item of technology in here works and their mechanisms of action within the body, the vision for X-Cellr8 has always been to create a state-of-the-art performance and recovery centre unlike anything currently available in Northern Ireland.

“We’re bringing a range of advanced recovery technologies together under one roof, and it’s encouraging to see athletes travelling long distances to use the clinic as confidence continues to grow.”

“Although people often think of us as a sports recovery clinic, that’s only part of what we do. We also work with a large number of clients living with long-term health conditions such as arthritis, poor sleep, fatigue, long COVID and chronic pain.

“Many of the therapies we offer are designed to support the body’s natural repair processes at a cellular level, which means they have the potential to benefit a much broader range of people than just athletes.”

Despite his success, Damien insists the achievement belongs to many people.

“No one reaches the world stage on their own. I’d like to thank my past and present coaches and teammates from the Ulster Karate Federation, especially Sean Barron, Martin McCole and, in earlier years, Kim McMenamin, as well as Eugene at Rathmore Fitness for all the strength and conditioning work we’ve done together. Their support has played a huge part in getting me here.”

Looking back on his journey, Damien says the experience has reinforced the message he shares with his clients every day.

“Recovery is a vital part of performance. Whether you’re aiming to compete at the highest level, recover from a long-term health condition, or simply get back to everyday life after an injury, giving your body the best chance to recover can make all the difference.”

X-Cellr8 Recovery & Performance, Health and Wellness clinic1 West End Terrace, Derry BT48 9EW, Open Tuesday to Saturday, 10.30am to 4.00pm; Closed: Sunday and Monday. For enquiries telephone 07394509124.