The Gymnast magazine - Summer 2016

GYMNAST D I G I T A L

M A G A Z I N E SUMMER 2016

LAURA HALFORD

IT’S THAT TIME AGAIN! THE 2016 BRITISH CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

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IN THIS ISSUE CONTENTS

CONTENTS IN THIS ISSUE...

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LAURA HALFORD

CIRQUE DU SOLEIL

Copyright © 2016 Published by British Gymnastics Cover photo - Laura Halford (Alan Edwards)

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BRITISH GYMNASTICS FOUNDATION

SPRING INTO ACTION

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MILANO, 20 YEARS

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All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without written permission of British Gymnastics. Identification and naming of individual gymnasts on printed photographs is determined by the information received and therefore cannot be guaranteed for accuracy.

The views expressed by the individual contributors are not necessarily those of British Gymnastics. Equally the inclusion of advertisements in this magazine does not constitute endorsement by British Gymnastics of the products or services concerned. British Gymnastics is unable to recommend any product, guarantee that it is free of any banned substance or take any responsibility for any claims of effectiveness.

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INTERVIEW LAURA HALFORD

LAURA HALFORD The pursuit of gymnastics perfection can take years of dedication and in some cases some big sacrifices and life choices need to be made. For British rhythmic champion Laura Halford, already well-established as our number one gymnast, the desire to keep improving led her to make the decision to move away from home to enable her to continue to progress.

We caught up with Laura in Cardiff – her adopted home – to find out why she’s decided to take the step into training full time, how the move has affected her and what improvements she feels she is making.

2015 British all-around champion

LAURA’S CV

2014 Commonwealth Games (Team Wales) team silver, all-around bronze and ball bronze 2014 British all-around champion 2013 British all-around champion 2011 Junior British all-around champion

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LAURA HALFORD INTERVIEW

LAURA, WHEN AND WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO MAKE THE BIG MOVE TO CARDIFF? “I moved to Cardiff in September 2015, partly for university and partly for the rhythmic programme in place here. I now live with five other rhythmic gymnasts, we train twice a day and benefit from amazing facilities and support whether it be coaches, physiotherapy, nutritionist or strength and conditioning. It’s definitely been for the best, to train full time has made a huge difference and the move although a big decision - was the best I’ve ever made I think.”

HOW BIG A CHANGE WAS IT TO TRAIN FULL TIME? “Starting training full time was definitely a shock to the system! The first week I thought ‘oh this is nice’ but after that I got very tired! Now I’m into a rhythm and we have worked to adapt my programme and recovery so thankfully it’s working much better. Training can be hard work of course. Every morning we start with ballet for an hour and twice a week strength and conditioning, and then we follow up with

four or five hours of routine work. Some days – especially Thursday for some reason – I have off days and you think “can I really do this again tomorrow” .. but of course I do. I think about all the amazing experiences I’ve had, the things I’ve achieved and how hard I had to work for them.

I know that every hour in the gym counts and so you push through to the next day and start again.”

AND MOST IMPORTANTLY DO YOU THINK IT’S MAKING A DIFFERENCE TO YOUR ROUTINES? “Yes, I think I’ve already improved a lot as a gymnast as I’m getting a lot more work done on the floor. Having a structure to the week with ballet and strength and conditioning sessions has made me stronger which of course benefits my routines. I feel like my routines are much more consistent and working full time with the same coaching team and support staff has enabled that to happen. I try and treat all my routines and all apparatus the same, each routine has something special for me with an aspect that I love so I train them all equally.

Overall I’m aiming for more consistent performances; I’ve got personal best scores

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INTERVIEW LAURA HALFORD

in competition this year and want to continue that over the year, keep getting better and better scores.“ HOW IS THE HOUSE SHARE GOING? “Away from training, eight of us live together, four rhythmic girls and four artistic girls in a shared house just next to the national centre. We have a “house parent” who looks after us which is amazing, especially for the younger ones. It again is something that’s been put in place to benefit ultimately our gymnastics as she helps to manage our time. It can something feel like it’s hard to escape from gymnastics living with gymnasts but it’s not too bad! We bond very much as teammates and all know another well and how to motivate each other.”

WHAT ARE THE AIMS GOING FORWARD AND HOW MUCH ARE THE COMMONWEALTH GAMES ALREADY ON YOUR MIND AFTER THE AMAZING EXPERIENCES IN GLASGOW? “The British Championships is definitely one of the biggest competitions this year with there not being a World Championships. I really want to do well in that and try and retain my title, it’s always a great Experience in such a big arena so I can’t wait to be there.

Of course for many of us the long term aim is the 2018 Commonwealth Games. The effect that our performances at Glasgow 2014 had has been huge for rhythmic gymnastics. I get lots of messages on social media, we have lots of new faces trying rhythmic gymnastics and even new clubs starting so to know that part of that is from our performances at the Games make us all very proud.

I’m aware that some people will look up to me which can be hard. When I’m having a tough day in the gym I know I need to act properly and keep working hard, Frankie Jones was good support to me and was a fantastic role model and I want to continue that.” n

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I KNOW THAT EVERY HOUR IN THE GYM COUNTS AND SO YOU PUSH YOURSELF TO THE NEXT DAY AND START AGAIN

LAURA HALFORD INTERVIEW

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FEATURE BG FOUNDATION

BRITISH GYMNASTICS FOUNDATION CHARITY

Nearly two years since the British Gymnastics Foundation was set up, a lot has happened.

Aiming to create opportunities through gymnastics, by bringing improvements to the lives of people and communities most in need, the charity has been making a difference to ensure the benefits of the sport are connected with those who need it.

Founded in June 2014, the Foundation has a number of areas where they continue to try and make a change for the better.

One of those areas is assisting people who are going through financial hardship. The Hardship Grants Programme was their first initiative and continues to benefit British Gymnastics members around the UK. In fact,

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between March 2015 and March 2016 the Foundation received 100 grant applications and awarded 49 hardship grants totalling nearly £20,000.

Patrick Bonner, British Gymnastics Foundation Manager, is delighted with the progress the charity has made in such a short space of time: “From our first meeting back in June 2014, we have come a very long way already.

We have a very forward thinking Board of Trustees that has driven the work of the Foundation. In addition we have grown the number of partnerships we connect with which has enabled us as a charity to achieve far more.”

The Foundation is also committed to working

BG FOUNDATION FEATURE

in schools in the most deprived areas of the UK - enabling more children to benefit from gymnastics, regardless of socio-economic background – and a community programme, where they give inspirational gymnastics experiences, host leadership courses and deliver gymnastics classes to help in communities that struggle.

Their inspirational experiences programme gave Kendal Gymnastics Club (link to story/ case study on website) a huge boost following the Cumbrian floods that affected them so badly at the end of last year. Gymnasts from the club were given the once in a lifetime opportunity to travel to Lilleshall and spend an afternoon watching the British Gymnastics women’s artistic team train.

The charity also supports disabled people, to make sure the sport is inclusive for all. This was evident when they took Gym Challenge to a special school in Wolverhampton, with over 100 children taking part across two days of coaching – culminating in a final inspirational day of Gym Challenge activity.

it has been completely state funded and is in every care home in Japan.

“We’re currently running a pilot test programme to determine the benefits of the activity for residents of care homes and attendees in day centres in Britain; and just four months into the pilot, the research conducted by Age UK is showing that the programme is having an amazing and in some cases life-changing effect on the programme’s participants.

“We have a fantastic amount of support from British Gymnastics which has helped us to develop and progress. From our website, to the launch of social media accounts to the many life-changing programmes which we now deliver, I can certainly see that although our journey has only just begun, we have undoubtedly changed many people’s lives for the better.” n

And Patrick is keen to create more success stories in the coming months: “We’ll continue to invest in the Hardship Grants Programme as well as setting up a new gymnastics leadership course to help people in extremely deprived areas to realise their aspirations of becoming involved in gymnastics; hopefully leading to long term volunteering or paid employment in gymnastics.

“Our really big programme in the coming year is the Age & Dementia Friendly Gymnastics Programme. In 2014 we started working with gymnastics experts from Japan who deliver a similar programme in their country. Their programme is considered so successful that

To find out mo re, visit the Found ation’s website or for regular updates, follow them on Twitter @bgfo undation or like Faceboo k page.

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Cirque du Soleil ® is seeking new talent for its current shows, new creations and diverse projects.

ACROBATIC & ARTISTIC GYMNASTICS TRAMPOLINE – TUMBLING – OTHER SPORTS

Apply now: CIRQUEDUSOLEIL.COM/JOBS FACEBOOK.COM/CIRQUEDUSOLEILCASTING

Cirque du Soleil is a trademark owned by Cirque du Soleil and used under license.

Photo: Matt Beard Costumes: Dominique Lemieux © 2012 Cirque du Soleil

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INTERVIEW CIRQUE DU SOLEIL

CIRQUE DU SOLEIL WOWING THE WORLD Many of you will have witnessed the incredible acrobatics, death defying gymnastics and mind blowing circus and theatre that is Cirque du Soleil.

The company which employs over 4,000 people from over 40 countries helps to bring aspects of our sport to a huge audience in numerous shows spanning the globe.

Look closely the next time you watch a show and you could recognise some of the acts and support staff.

Many of our top gymnasts are part of the Cirque cast, as they look to continue within the sport after their elite careers. One such gymnast who took that step is Beijing 2008 star Marissa King who recently starred in Amaluna at the Albert Hall.

Alongside Marissa was top GB coach Chris Bowler, we caught up with both of them after the show to find out more about their journey into the “Circus of the Sun”.

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MARISSA KI

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CIRQUE DU SOLEIL INTERVIEW

MARISSA, TELL US MORE ABOUT YOUR MOVE FROM OLYMPIAN TO CIRQUE DU SOLEIL PERFORMER.

MA R ISSA K IN G AT T H E 2 0 07 WOR L D A R T IST IC CH A MP ION S H IP S IN ST U T TG A R T, G E R MA N Y

C H R IS B OW L E R

“After my elite career as a gymnast I went to Florida in the Summer of 2009 to study and I started competing almost straight away. I competed for four years. I then transitioned out of collegiate gymnastics into Cirque.

I knew I wanted to join Cirque. I saw a show in Macau in 2008 when the GB team went there for a preOlympic test event and that’s when I knew that was something I wanted to do. I went on to audition in 2011 but I finished my collegiate career as I knew going to university in Florida was such a big opportunity and I couldn’t have stopped that half way through. I needed to see that through and finish my degree. I actually continued training for a fifth year, took an internship, took a second degree. I took an extra year because I wanted to help with the team still after we won our first national championship. I wanted to do some student coaching to see if coaching was something I wanted to get into. I still travelled with the team, helped the assistant coach and also did my internship within media as media was the second degree I took. I also trained on the side, ready for Cirque. There were so many options and I wanted to see what I wanted to do after I graduated.”

FOR PEOPLE WHO DON’T UNDERSTAND HOW BIG THE UNIVERSITY GYMNASTICS SCENE IS OUT IN AMERICA, CAN YOU EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT MORE? “It’s very different because in elite gymnastics you have around three big competitions in a year whereas at NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) you can do sixteen competitions in four months and that’s something that it took me some time to get used to; the fact that we travelled and competed so much. It was an incredible experience because it’s different.

It’s difficult in its own way. It’s slightly simplified routines with less skills but it’s all about perfection and performance. In some ways I don’t feel like to I got to be myself at competitions until then. At college in America I was really able to express myself. I had a

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INTERVIEW CIRQUE DU SOLEIL

great collegiate career and being part of the team in Florida that won our first national championship was a great moment and a really big deal.”

SO HOW DID YOU THEN GET INTO CIRQUE? “I saw my first show in 2008 like I said and from then it was something I wanted to do. I knew some other GB trampoline and artistic gymnasts who had gone on to join Cirque and they really inspired me to pursue that. It was just a matter of when. Sometimes it can be difficult because there may be an opening with a show but a certain profile has to fit and that can take time. You might have to wait for a new show to go through creation for new openings to come up and even then they are figuring out exactly what acts they want and who might fit that. You have to get chosen from a pool of people they’ve chosen to look at. I kept putting myself out there. Every year at national championships we had scouts come and watch and I always connected with them.”

SO ONCE YOU WERE AT THE CIRQUE HEADQUARTERS IN MONTREAL, CANADA, WHAT WAS THE PROCESS FROM DAY ONE THROUGH TO SHOW ONE? “My formation was quite quick. They wanted the show to be on tour soon. I had to adapt because the set up is very different. Amaluna involves an asymmetric bar routine but the low bar is slightly higher and the stage revolves. I had to explore the structure of the apparatus once I got there and develop and understanding of the show, who your character is and what your role is within the show. Going to HQ was really insightful and a really good stepping stone to see what the journey I was starting was all about. It was a perfect introduction and preparation phase.”

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CIRQUE DU SOLEIL INTERVIEW

FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN’T SEEN AMALUNA, HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE SHOW AND YOUR ROLE WITHIN IT? “It tells the story of a girl coming of age, a washed up sailor she meets and falls in love with, and the challenges they face to be together. My character is one of the amazons, one of the protectors of the island. We’re the ones who keep everything in place. It’s our island and we are guarding it for our queen.

We’re strong, we’re fierce and we need to be somewhat intimidating to the men when they arrive on the island. It’s always nice to have an intention on stage, remember how you are supposed to act and what your place is within the show. You need to keep with that every show, every day. Doing ten shows a week can be tiring and it’s hard work but you always work to get in character and stay within that mindset.”

WHAT’S IT LIKE TOURING WITH THE SHOW? “It’s crazy we’ve been everywhere- Miami,

Houston, Tarragona, Madrid, Belgium, Paris and now London. This is my seventh city. I’ve been on tour for a year but it still feels like I’m relatively new. When I watch videos of my performances back I still feel like there’s so much I can improve on.

The Royal Albert Hall is just the most amazing venue. When I tell people I’ve performed here they’re all impressed! Standing centre stage and looking out is an image I am never going to forget. It’s been overwhelming because so many people have wanted to come and see it.

It was harder when we were in North America but it’s been easier since we’ve been in Europe and definitely lots more since we’ve been in London. It’s been an incredible opportunity and a great time to be home!”

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INTERVIEW CIRQUE DU SOLEIL

Chris, talk us through your background within gymnastics coaching and then your move into Cirque du Soleil.

“I started as a gymnast. I was a decent gymnast but I was by no means exceptional.

I knew I’d reached my potential in my teens.

From that point I needed to make a choice and I chose my education. I went to university and I studies sport and exercise science. I started coaching from the age fourteen. I was with Woking Gymnastics Club, I was still training as a gymnast and I got into coaching.

That led me to coach at other clubs like Basingstoke Gymnastics Club and I continued to coach through my time at university. When I came out of uni I continued to work my way up through the club system and I found myself at Pinewood Gymnastics Club. I carried on gaining my coaching qualifications to the point where I became a high performance coach and I was directing Pinewood. I did that for several years and I felt I achieved quite a lot in that setting. I helped the club grow and felt I was of integral support to the coaches there who produced several regional, national and European champions across a number of disciplines.

I was looking for a new challenge. I originally applied to Cirque du Soleil for a casting position and they interviewed me. A couple of months later I got a call from them and it just so happened that their show ‘Totem’ was in London at the time.I went to visit the show and caught up with the artistic director and I ended up joining that show when it finished in London in early 2012. I toured the USA with that show as head coach. My main purpose was to guide and support the artists on a daily basis and help the development of the acrobatic content, in line with the artistic director and the original concept for that show.

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After being on ‘Totem’ for a few years I was looking for something else and the opportunity to get involved in the creation process for a new Cirque show came up. Toruk (based on James Cameron’s ‘Avatar’) has just started touring the world and I spent a good few months in Canada being involved in its creation process.

That was great. It continued to broaden my experiences and learn new acrobatic disciplines.

That led me to my position as an acrobatic coach with the show ‘Amaluna.’ I was drawn to the opportunity to go back to where I started, tour Europe and be a coach for the show when it came to London’s Royal Albert Hall. It’s a unique, prestigious venues. I was also very open to continuing my own experiences within the company and contribute to another show.

‘Amaluna’ is quite a new show and has been through some changes and I was asked to assist in continuing to develop the acrobatic content.”

HOW HAVE YOU FOUND MOVING THROUGH THREE DIFFERENT SHOWS; AS HEAD COACH, TO A CREATION PROCESS AND NOW ACROBATIC COACH? WHICH ROLE PUSHED YOU THE MOST? “They each had different challenges. When I joined ‘Totem’ I was fresh into the company. I went straight from a gymnastics club setting and competitive setting into the world of live entertainment. That transition at age 27 had challenges. I had to learn how to work with not gymnasts, but acrobats, artists and a whole team. I wasn’t dealing with parents, coaches, judges and committee members anymore. I was dealing with lighting technicians, riggers, artistic teams, stage managers and lots of press. That was all new. I was part of a much larger team now. The company is huge.

Learning how to find my feet and direction as head coach on ‘Totem’ took some time. I had to build relationships with everyone there. There

CIRQUE DU SOLEIL INTERVIEW

DID YOU KNOW?

Marissa isn’t th e only GB Olympian cu rrently touring in Amal una by Cirque du Sole il, so is her Beijing teamm ate Imogen Cairns!

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INTERVIEW CIRQUE DU SOLEIL

were 18 different nationalities and I had to learn how to communicate with everyone.

‘Toruk’ was a completely different setting. We weren’t touring. There was a whole array of people put together working towards the goal of putting together this new, unique spectacle. One of the challenges was the time constraint. When you’re delivering a new show you are given a few months. It came with its own challenges. The equipment was totally different. The stage was different. Learning how to work with it all and manipulate the equipment to get the best out of the performers was the real challenge. Part of my role was to really motivate and stimulate the artists too. We had to keep them safe and healthy during long days, six days per week.”

YOU’VE ESSENTIALLY SPENT YOUR LIFE ON TOUR FOR THE PAST FOUR YEARS. WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT IT AND WHAT DO YOU MISS ABOUT BEING AWAY FROM HOME? “Obviously I miss my friends and family. I’m quite a family oriented person. I do miss my roots to an extent but the touring life is unique. You live, work and socialise with the same people every day. It’s full on and it’s not for everyone. I guess you either love it or hate it. I’ve been very fortunate to be able to travel the world and see things that I probably never would have seen otherwise. The challenges of touring include simple things like you can’t buy a piece of nice furniture you see and love for your home. You visit all these wonderful places but you can’t take it all with you. You have to be selective in what you tour with and you’re sort of living out of a suitcase. When you start to settle somewhere it’s suddenly time to move on. Every place you go, you get to embrace the people and embrace the culture.”

WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED COACHING FOR CIRQUE, WHAT SKILLS DID YOU WALK IN WITH?

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“I felt one of my main strengths was being able to communicate with all the different people, which I got from the club setting. One of the bigger challenges was learning about the new equipment. In a sense, from my original coaching career, yes, I knew how to coach a somersault, I had that underlying principle of gymnastics and biomechanics and what it takes it to rotate and twist and tumble. Then, it was ‘what if you take someone who is hanging upside down?’ or taking it out of the norm and putting it on unique equipment. In the gymnastics world you will often have one gymnast at a time and on static apparatus that does not move and what happens in a performance is down to that gymnast. Then you go to Cirque and an entertainment venue and suddenly you’re dealing with equipment that moves while the artist is on it. In ‘Amaluna’ there is a turntable so the stage actually rotates while the artists are working on the bars. I needed to know how that equipment works to then be able to relate that back to what the artists do and get the best out of them. As a coach I got the skills set from the club setting to break the acrobatic in the circus would down and understand them and tackle these new challenges.”

WOULD YOU SAY THAT FOUR YEARS WITH CIRQUE HAS DEVELOPED YOU AS A COACH? “Absolutely. I think when I joined the company it put me out of my comfort zone for sure. I had to learn so much. Working with gymnasts at a high level, we were used to peaking at competitions just a few times a year. As a coach with Cirque I have to manage the artists to perform ten shows a week, 300+ shows a year and try to put out the same energy and the same level of performance every single time because each audience deserves the same show. Trying to motivate the artists after they are tired is important. I have to know them all as individuals so I know when to push, when to support, when to rotate certain skills within an act to keep everyone safe. The

CIRQUE DU SOLEIL INTERVIEW

MAR I SSA K I N G AT T H E 2 009 WO RL D ARTIST IC CH AM PI O N S HI PS - O2 A R EN A

mental aspect of being a performer as opposed to a top competitive gymnast is different.

They’re not training 30 hours a week anymore.

They might only be training a few hours a week now and the time up on stage rehearsing on the equipment is limited. A lot of it is maintenance but I also need to look to the development of the acrobatic content so vary careful planning is needed by me so when each artist does have stage time they get the most out of it and everything they do is productive." n Huge thanks to Matte Hart, 1066 Gymnastics Head Coach for conducting the interview!

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FEATURE 2016 RIO OLYMPICS

GYMNASTICS OLYMPIC SCHEDULE The 2016 Olympic Games are just around the corner! Taking place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from the 5th to 2st1 August, more than 10,500 athletes from 206 National Olympic Committees will take part in 28 sports across 33 venues.

Gymnastics events will take place in artistic, trampoline and rhythmic gymnastics. We have qualified full men’s and women’s artistic gymnastics teams (5 per team) , two places for Team GB in the women’s trampoline event and one in the men’s event. The British gymnasts are now working hard aiming to make the teams through a series of trial events, training camps and competitions with the final line ups to be announced on the 12th July.

Your Autumn edition of Gymnast Magazine will have full reports of all the action, in the meantime here’s your must have schedule so you can keep up to date with all the Olympic action!

MEN’S ARTISTIC GYMNASTICS QUALIFICATIONS [GB QUALIFICATION] 6 AUGUST MEN’S

FINALS 8 AUGUST MEN’S TEAM 10 AUGUST MEN’S INDIVIDUAL ALL-AROUND 14 AUGUST MEN’S FLOOR EXERCISE

MEN’S POMMEL HORSE 15 AUGUST MEN’S RINGS

MEN’S VAULT 16 AUGUST MEN’S PARALLEL BARS

MEN’S HORIZONTAL BAR

14:30 - 17:00 18:30 - 21:00 22:30 - 01:00 20:00 - 23:00 20:00 - 22:45 18:00 - 21:00 18:00 - 20:15 18:00 - 20:15

WOMEN’S ARTISTIC GYMNASTICS QUALIFICATIONS 7 AUGUST WOMEN’S

FINALS 9 AUGUST 11 AUGUST 14 AUGUST

15 AUGUST 16 AUGUST

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[GB QUALIFICATION] 13:45 - 17:00

WOMEN’S TEAM WOMEN’S INDIVIDUAL ALL-AROUND WOMEN’S VAULT

WOMEN’S UNEVEN BARS WOMEN’S BALANCE BEAM WOMEN’S FLOOR EXERCISE

18:30 - 20:00 21:30 - 23:00 12:30 - 02:00 20:00 - 22:15 20:00 - 22:10 18:00 - 21:00 18:00 - 20:15 18:00 - 20:15

2016 RIO OLYMPICS FEATURE

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT! POST YOUR MESSAGES USING

#GOTeamGB GYMNASTS

CHECK OUT WWW.BBC.CO.UK/SPORT TO WATCH ALL THE LIVE ACTION

TRAMPOLINE GYMNASTICS 12 AUGUST QUALIFICATIONS & FINALS WOMEN’S 18:00 - 20:15 13 AUGUST QUALIFICATIONS & FINALS MEN’S 18:00 - 20:15

RHYTHMIC GYMNASTICS QUALIFICATIONS 19 AUGUST INDIVIDUAL ALL-AROUND

20 AUGUST GROUP

FINALS 20 AUGUST 21 AUGUST

14:20 - 17:20 18:50 - 21:50 14:00 - 15:10 16:40 - 17:50

INDIVIDUAL ALL-AROUND 19:20 - 21:50 GROUP 15:00 - 16:45

You will be able to keep up to date with all the latest news, event reports and photos from Rio on our special Rio 2016 Olympic event hub! www.british-gymnastics.org

UK TIMES SHOWN ALL COMPETITION SCHEDULES INCLUDED IN THIS GUIDE ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT ANY TIME FOR THE LATEST LISTINGS, SEE WWW.RIO2016.COM/EN

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FEATURE SPRING INTO ACTION

SPRING INTO ACTION

Article from OnTrack www.ontrackmagazine.co.uk

Patrick Bonner, Disability Manager of British Gymnastics somersaults over his words as he enthusiastically discusses the inclusive world of Gymnastics.

On the surface, trampolines, springboards and ropes, might seem out of reach for someone with a disability, but British Gymnastics has become dedicated to ensuring that the sport is available to all, since they discovered in 2011 that disability gymnastics was seen as being inaccessible.

“What we’ve done over the last four years in particular is to show the breadth of opportunity that is available, so right from the fundamentals, from movement and skill, perhaps on a trampoline for example, all the way through to elite skill. Anbody of any impairment can get involved in gymnastics” Patrick said.

British Gymnastics have over 1200 clubs across the UK, with 200 of these being specific to disability. To find a club near you, you can visit www.british-gymnastics.org/ discover. By simply putting in a few details you can find the perfect class for you, from thrill-seeking to expressive, you can find the right activity from the seven different

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gymnastic disciplines.

“Our philosophy is that the type of class a disabled person participates in is completely down to them as an individual.

“We educate our clubs and coaches into how to make sure they differentiate properly and they actually put in place the correct solutions to properly integrate disabled people into classes. There is an opportunity in dedicated classes if someone feels that they would prefer that option. We encourage our clubs and coaches to listen to the gymnast first and foremost anf make sure that their needs are catered for.”

It’s easy to get involved in gymnastics and once you’ve tracked down a club local to you, you can get involved straight away without having to fork out the entire contents of your piggy bank on some expensive equipment.

Gymnastics is currently an Olympic sport, but has not made it to the Paralympics yet.

SPRING INTO ACTION FEATURE

Patrick discusses British Gymnastics future plans to hopefully take this exciting sport to the Paralympics one day, but currently there are gymnastic championship levels which disabled gymnasts can compete in.

British Gymnastics is acknowledged internationally by the FIG, (the World Governing Body for gymnastics) and other gymnastics federations across the world, as at the forefront of delivering and developing disability gymnastics. The success in the UK is inspiring other federations around the world. Educating other countries around the world is high priority for them, and in partnership with the FIG an international outreach programme was created. In

2015, British Gymnastics helped develop the South African disability gymnastics programme, which is now delivered in over 50% of ‘specialist schools’ across the country. The next country to benefit will be Brazil, following the Paralympic Games.

The education programme will commence swiftly after the event with the objective of improving the provision of gymnastics for disabled people in the country.

The growth in popularity and participation in disability gymnastics has been attributed to the British Gymnastics ‘I’M IN’ disability gymnastics initiative which aims to develop more high quality opportunities for disabled people in gymnastics. Launched in 2013, the

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FEATURE SPRING INTO ACTION

I’M IN programme offers specialist coaching support and mentoring to other clubs who want to become more inclusive. To date, more than 200 coaches have benefited from this initiative and they have taken their new skills and knowledge back to their respective clubs.

In two years, these clubs have run 75 taster days with nearly 850 disabled people trying the sport for the first time. These events have contributed hugely towards the increase in disability membership, with 1 in 4 of those who attended a day going on to become regular members of a club.

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“If you’re a gymnast you know how exciting the sport can be; the feeling of flight, the feeling of being on a trampoline and having that joy of movement and it’s an incredible joy of movement. If you ever step on a sprung floor or a trampoline for the first time and you can experience your body moving a different way, is just an incredible experience.”

The I’M IN initiative has encouraged 1500 disabled British Gymnastics members and is made possible by Sports England. n

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FEATURE MILANO ADVERTORIAL

ADVERTORIAL BY PAUL A. PENDERGEST CEO, MILANO

THE MILANO HERITAGE

CELELBRATING 20 YEARS TOGETHER When you buy a leotard from Milano you don’t get just a leotard. You get a piece of sporting history made with care and excellence in our own UK factory.

The Milano story began in 1991 when Paul and Lesley Pendergest were selling aerobic and swim wear and were asked if they could make gymnastic leotards. The rest, as they say, is history. With Lesley’s experience as a designer with companies such as Speedo, allied to Paul’s business skills, Milano Pro Sport was born, bringing a new flair to the sport with unequaled fit and performance.

Using the best fabrics from the areas around Milan, the name Milano was chosen to reflect Italian flair, quality and cutting edge fashion although the company has always been wholly British.

An audacious bid to supply all the kit for British Gymnastics in 1996 announced Milano’s arrival on the world stage. 20 years on, Milano are the exclusive official Performance Gymnastics Wear Supplier for the British Gymnastics team and have supplied kit for numerous World, European and other Championships. Milano was worn for Britain’s first ever World Championship Gold

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medal when Beth Tweddle triumphed on bars in 2006, and Max Whitlock’s historic World Championship pommel gold in 2016. Milano has been proud to be a part of the emergence of British Gymnastics as a world power in the sport, supplying spectacular leotards that perform as good as they look.

FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH Other countries followed including the Russian team at the Beijing Olympics and today we are still supplying British Gymnastics, Russia and Romania, three of the world’s top gymnastic nations.

Elsewhere, Milano has taken on special commissions including Commonwealth Games athletics kit for Linford Christie, the amazing range of costumes for Britain’s Got Talent winners, Spellbound, Beth Tweddle’s remarkable tuxedo leotard for the Sports Personality of the Year Awards and commissions for a host of television special events and celebrities.

The 20 years that we have shared with British Gymnastics has been an amazing journey and we have been proud to have been a part of the rise to become a world force.

MILANO ADVERTORIAL FEATURE DA N PURV I S BECKY DOWNIE

KAT D R ISCO LL

MAX WH I TLO CK

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DI B SCO AM GM U OU E NT NT MB CO 20 ER DE %

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CHAMPIONSHIPS OFFICIAL PROGRAMME 2016

WHAT’S COMING UP JULY TRAMPOLINE, TUMBLING & DMT BRITISH CHAMPIONSHIPS 02 - 03 July 2016 | Echo Arena, Liverpool

BUY TICKETS

BRITISH CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES 28 - 31 July 2016 | Echo Arena, Liverpool

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AUGUST OLYMPIC GAMES 05 - 21 August 2016 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil BRITISH VETS 06 - 07 August 2016 | Lilleshall NSC, Newport

SEPTEMBER

AEROBIC ALEX STRACHAN CUP 16 - 18 September 2016 | Surrey Sports Park, Guildford

OCTOBER TEAMGYM EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS 12 - 15 October 2016 | Sports Hall Ljudski, Maribor, Slovenia

NOVEMBER ACROBATIC CLUB TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS 12 - 13 November 2016 | Fenton Manor, Stoke-on-Trent

34 | THE GYMNAST

BUY TICKETS

GYMNAST DIGITAL MAGAZINE VOLUME 55 ISSUE 2 SUBSCRIBE TO THE LATEST CALENDAR DATES

DECEMBER MEN’S & WOMEN’S ESPOIR BRITISH CHAMPIONSHIPS 02 - 04 December 2016 | Basildon

EDITOR Tim Peake tim.peake@british-gymnastics.org

FEATURES EDITOR Olivia Howard olivia.howard@british-gymnastics.org

CONTRIBUTOR Vera Atkinson vera.atkinson@british-gymnastics.org

DESIGN Karen Uppal Mark Young & Jemma Bishop

BGTV Gareth Finchett, Daniel Dyche & Simon Carswell bgtv@british-gymnastics.org

BRITISH GYMNASTICS OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPHER Alan Edwards www.f2images.com

ADVERTISING Anthony Cave Cabbell Publishing Ltd, Wimbledon Studios, 1 Deer Park Road, London, SW19 3TL T. 0203 6037934 anthony.cave@cabbell.co.uk

PUBLISHED BY British Gymnastics Lilleshall National Sports Centre, Newport, Shropshire, TF10 9AT Tel 0345 1297129 Registered In England No. 1630001 VAT Reg. No. 100166672

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