As part of The Epping Gymnastics Team, Emilia in 5H and Lavinia in 1V have recently performed at Gym Fusion at The Lowry in Manchester. This event is part of the British Gymnastics National Festival Programme and gives gymnasts the opportunity to show off their skills and talents as part of a team in a friendly, fun and non-competitive environment. The Lowry is an impressive venue with the capacity to seat more than 1,700 people.
Both girls discussed their experiences at the event with Coopersale Hall School.
Emilia – in 5H
Where did you go and who took part in this event?
The venue was Manchester – and the place was very big and it held a lot of spectators. There were a lot of different gymnastics clubs, some are small and other groups have a lot of members. This is a lovely event because everyone who showcases their gymnastics routine gets a medal. Also it is nice to have the opportunity to see the other clubs performing and we always like to see what outfits they are wearing! It is nice to be supportive of each other as we all understand the hard work that goes into doing these routines and performing together.
What did you perform?
Our Festival routine was performed to the song “Believe in You” and it was tricky to learn but fun to perform. There were a lot of different acrobatics performed and dance moves. I love it when I am flung into the air and do a bridge swing! You have to trust your team mates when you are doing these types of moves, they are thrilling to perform and look amazing to watch.
How do you feel about gymnastics and performing a routine?
Sometimes the training time can feel very long – but whenever you have completed the routine or have been a part of a competition it really makes it feel worthwhile. I really do enjoy it and sometimes I work on strength training at home to improve my skills so I think that says a lot about how I feel.
It took us quite a while to get up to Manchester, I went with the team on the bus and we were tired when we arrived. Once we settled down and got into our sparkly costumes, put on our make-up and had our hair styled in this elaborate pony tail with lots of hairbands – then we really felt ready to go and got excited.
The team of girls are really encouraging and we get along well and we work hard together. Lavinia is the youngest in our team. I think she is really brave and amazing because she is so young and has come so far. She is definitely courageous and kind-hearted and thinks about making her movements as perfect as she can.
The coaches are strict but we understand it is because they want us to really know the routine well and that we perform it to the best of our ability. They are really nice and we do appreciate all the time and effort that they put in to the club.
What was it like to meet GB gymnastic Olympic medal holders?
We saw them waiting at the end of the corridor greeting people and allowing us to take a photograph with them. I watch them a lot on Gym Stars and admire Jess Gadirova for her bar routines and Jennifer Gadirova for her floor work. They always seem to create something that feels fresh and original. It was lovely of them to give up their time to come and see everyone and inspire us all – because one day we may be in the corridor with our Olympic medals helping to inspire a new group of people to work hard and make their dream happen.
Lavinia in 1V
I drove to Manchester with my parents and it did take us a long time to get to this amazing place. I love it when we get into our costumes and have our hair and make-up ready. The older girls are really kind and they help us with this. Isla and Lucy in the group are always around to take care of me and I really like them. I think I will do gymnastics for a very long time because there is always something to look forward to. We are always learning something new and improving on the skills we have. My favourite thing to do is the cartwheel – I am really good at these and they are great fun.
It is wonderful how enthusiastically Emilia and Lavinia speak about the girls in the squad, the skills that they are learning and the amazing experiences that they are having. The girls are training for up to 11 hours per week – which is a wonderful commitment. Very well done girls this is fantastic and keep on doing what you are enjoying.
