Rochdale sisters strike gold at World Martial Arts Championships in Norway

Wednesday, 12 November 2025 20:17

By David Murphy

Two young sisters from Rochdale have returned from Norway as world champions after an extraordinary medal haul at the World Martial Arts Championship Games.

Isla-Rose and Elonie-Mai Goodfellow, who both train at The Dojo karate centre on Castlemere Street and compete internationally for Team GB, earned a combined 19 medals in Oslo across multiple disciplines.

Elonie-Mai, aged just nine, won six gold, two silver and two bronze medals. Her older sister Isla-Rose, 13, took home one gold, five silver and three bronze.

Their performances earned them both the titles of world champion and world champion fighter, following a demanding weekend of top-level competition against martial artists from around the globe.

The sisters’ success has been met with pride and celebration in Rochdale, where they have been training under the guidance of local coaches at The Dojo, a club with a growing reputation for producing elite martial artists.

Elonie-Mai just 9 years old won:
6 x Gold
2 x Sliver
2 x Bronze

Isla-Rose 13 years old won:

1 x Gold
5 x Silver
3 x Bronze.

Family, friends and instructors say they are incredibly proud of the girls’ dedication, discipline, and composure on the world stage.

The World Martial Arts Championship Games, held in Oslo, draw some of the best young talent from across continents and are considered a prestigious platform for rising stars in the sport.