By Joanne Rodgers, Bruce Peninsula Press
Local athlete Skylar Campigotto took home the gold at the 2025 Windsor Open Jiu Jitsu Tournament. Campigotto, who has just completed his final year at the Bruce Peninsula District School, competed at the Tournament in May, 2025.
Skylar competed in two fights in his under 141 lb weight division where he took gold by winning both fights by submission within the first minutes of the fight.
After that, Skylar was in an open weight and belt division. Skylar says “this meant I was fighting against any level and years of experience, as well as any weight. My first fight was against the guy who got gold in the 155 lb white belt division which I submitted him in a rear naked choke in 2 minutes. My second fight was against a 2 stripe purple belt who was around 165 lbs with me weighing around 133 lbs. I was able to get the win around 5 minutes into the 6 minute fight with an outside heelhook. I lost in the quarterfinals to a 240 lb purple belt.”
Skylar has been training for two years and is currently a 2 stripe white belt. He says after playing hockey throughout his childhood, he decided to give something else a try, “I’ve always liked combat sports and there was a gym not too far away.” He started doing Jiu Jitsu at 16 years old and trains about 10 plus hours a week.
He started training at Killian Academy in Shallow Lake, but after a year of training, the gym closed. He then moved to Unit Jiu Jitsu in Sauble Beach but that also closed six months later. Now he trains in Flesherton, about an hour and a half drive away. He trains there a few times a week as well as training every once in a while in Stratford.
Off to college in September 2025, Skylar says he plans “on training for the rest of my life and competing as much as I can as I progress through the belts and levels.” He expects to be able to train many times a week, year round while at college.
He says his goals are to become a black belt and gain as much knowledge and skills in the sport of Jiu Jitsu that he can.
