ISSUE 09 - Sport 4 All
It’s time to tumble British Gymnastics tells us why it is a great time to introduce your child to gymnastics, giving them fun, fitness, friendship and fundamental skills.
N Bronze Olympic medal winner, 16-year-old Jessica Gadirova
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ow is the perfect time to get involved in gymnastics. Last summer, the Olympic Games returned with thousands of athletes from across the world going head-to-head to be crowned Olympic champion in their chosen sport. Absolutely breathtaking performances in both artistic gymnastics and trampoline meant Team GB gymnasts stole the hearts of the nation. Who could forget the moment 16-year-old twin sisters, Jessica and Jennifer Gadirova, along with their teammates, Amelie Morgan and Alice Kinsella, took the bronze medal? This was the first Olympic team medal in women’s gymnastics to be won by Great Britain since 1928! The Gadirova twins’ journey to the top started in a children’s recreational gymnastics class, before they worked their way up
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through the ranks to represent Great Britain on the biggest of stages. Recreational gymnastics, through British Gymnastics’ programmes, provided the perfect stepping-stone, which has enabled many gymnasts to go on to achieve Olympic success. Speaking about her gymnastics journey to date, Jessica says: “I was around six years old when I started. [I was] just having fun doing gymnastics. I love gymnastics because of the feeling you get when you’re doing a routine or learning a skill. I love to perform and gymnastics lets me express myself. It’s fun to train and develop with new challenges all the time and then to produce the final routine and show it off feels very special.”
A SPORT FOR EVERYONE
At the Olympic Games, you may have seen artistic gymnastics, trampoline gymnastics and rhythmic gymnastics, but there are even more gymnastics disciplines than those to explore. Whether practising your first forward roll or refining a backwards somersault, gymnastics welcomes people from all ages, abilities and backgrounds. Does your child love to bounce on a trampoline at home? Are they full of energy and like to move? They could be a natural-born gymnast. Children across the country are taking part in hundreds of thousands of gymnastics sessions every week – and now is a great time to get involved. British Gymnastics is the governing body for gymnastics in the UK, supporting safe, welcoming and rewarding environments for people to take part through its member clubs and delivery partners. Recreational gymnastics is represented through Gymnastics for All, with a focus on fun, fitness, friendship and fundamental skills. www.FamilyFirst.co.uk
