Where it all Began…..
I found my love for gymnastics at an early age like so many young gymnastics practising at home and playing in the garden. I joined various gymnastics clubs but never quite found the one where I truly belonged, or so that’s what I thought. I now realise that it was the discipline of Acrobatics that I had not discovered, but at the age of 16 this all changed. Through hard work and determination I quickly progressed from beginner level to a strong regional level.
Life dramatically changed for me when I was asked to trial for a senior women’s pair at elite level - unheard of for a 27 year old. Talk about being out of my comfort zone. But I had a goal, and 10 hours of travelling per week, a lack of finance, and low self esteem was not going to stop me. I battled through partners that grew too quickly (!), swapped partners when they got injured and missed out on international competitions, and even endured the pain of injury and rehabilitation myself. My big break was presented to me in the form of representing the country as part of the Great British Squad being one half of a senior women's pair. As the only senior women pair in the country at this level, the 2019 World Cup in Maia was an exciting prospect. Once again, disaster struck. After months of absolute life consuming commitment, training beyond limits that I didn’t even know existed and rehearsing the same routines relentlessly, my partner tore the ligaments in her knee one month before we were to compete. My dream was savagely ripped away from me, and instead of performing in Maia I went along to support Team GB.
I refused to let external factors influence my path, so quickly found myself back on the pathway to represent Great Britain as a trio, when I ruptured my achilles. While not admitting defeat, I turned my attention more to my coaching and further developing the squad that I have now. I had coached alongside my training since the age of 12 years old. Coaching while unable to walk (unless it was on my hands!) was tough; when an elite athlete is injured life changes dramatically overnight and you start to question who you are. But instead of my injury affecting my squad and my coaching in a negative way, it had the opposite effect - they seemed almost inspired! They learnt a lot about perseverance and resilience, better understood the value of having personal aspirations as well as gymnastics ambition and became truly inspired by my story. The story that told them to always keep going, especially when you are on the EDGE (or even out of) your comfort zone.
We continued this theme through all of the Covid 19 Lock Down. We sustained our training regimes, we challenged one another each and every week, pushed boundaries and made physical gains and most of all we maintained our close knit family.
Through all of my experiences and memories it is the ones that I am living now, with the EDGE Acrobatic gymnasts that make me smile the most. Seeing the gymnasts grow and develop, perfecting new skills and increasing in confidence is the biggest gift of all. They now give me the drive to give them the opportunities I never had; the opportunities that I had to seek endlessly for; the opportunities to become the elite gymnast I never even dreamed I would be. My passion for EDGE acrobatic gymnasts, for ensuring that all gymnasts in the Mendip area can unquestionably and successfully perform and complete in local, regional and national competitions with confidence, for guaranteeing that Acrobatic gymnasts in the Mendip region have access to high quality coaching, and for bringing a community together, is my absolute driving force for EDGE Acrobatic Gymnastics Club.
We are looking forward to competing in the near future and showcasing our gymnastics and close knit teamwork to a bigger audience.
. . . . Oh and I still enjoy wearing my GB tracksuit as a reminder!
Story behind the logo………
Some of you eagle eyed people might be curious about the small print on the logo. It’s a reference to a Bible verse – one that’s a favourite of mine. Colossians 3:23 and it says, “Whatever you do, do it with your whole heart” and we think that’s a good motto for the club. If you’re gonna do it then commit, work hard and do it well! That will, at times, mean being on the edge of your comfort zone, working harder than you think you can or pushing your limits, physically or mentally. But when you know you’ve given it your all and held nothing back, the rewards will be great.