Honiton Gymnastics Club hosts 325 gymnasts from across the UK
Clubs travel 350 miles to attend annual competition
Honiton was the official meeting place for gymnasts from all over the country last weekend, as competitors and their families travelled as far as 350 miles to compete in the prestigious Honiton Invitational competition.
The annual event, which took place at Honiton Leisure Centre, has tripled in size since the club ran its inaugural event in 2011 and featured gymnasts from locations including Bristol, North Wales, London, and Washington in Tyne and Wear.
"It was a very busy but extremely rewarding day for Honiton Gymnastics Club," said high performance coach Helen Reddy, who organised the competition. "The emphasis, once again, was on not only creating a friendly and inclusive atmosphere that maintains the competitive spirit of acrobatic gymnastics but also giving the opportunity for all gymnasts to leave with a sense of achievement."
Gymnasts competed in acrobatic gymnastics National Development Plan levels from Grade 1 (beginner) through to Grade 4 (intermediate).
As competing gymnasts brought with them the support of friends and family, Honiton Leisure Centre hosted more than 700 additional visitors.
"It was great to bring so many new faces to Honiton and welcome back clubs that have been coming to our competition for the past four years," added Helen. "The competition really puts us on the national map and is a great opportunity for our supporters association to run fundraising activities. If the invitational grows in popularity any more we'll have to run the event over two days next year."
Deputy Mayor of Honiton Cllr John Zarczynski was on hand to present the medals alongside LED Duty Manager Kerry Davis. Many gymnasts also got the chance to meet Alex Uttley, who was a professional in the BBC's recent Saturday evening gymnastics show ‘Tumble'. He brought gymnasts from his gymnastics squad in the London Borough of Hillingdon.
In addition to the friendly competition, the 80 Honiton gymnasts that competed also performed excellently, with pairs and trios competing against as many as 25 other partnerships in their categories.Honiton medal winners
Oscar Feliche & Jasmine Ford - gold, Preparation Level 4-7 years
Esme Shackleton & Thomas Merrick - silver, Preparation Level 7+ years
Aimee Deam & Kira Wootton - silver, Grade Women's Pairs
Ava Collins & Dafyd Platt - gold, Grade 1 Mixed Pairs
Kira Wootton & Josh Cambridge - silver, Grade 1 Mixed Pairs
Molly Thompson & Scarlet Livingstone - bronze, Grade 4 Women's Pairs
Callum Abbott & Kiera Bonetta - gold, Grade 4 Mixed and Men's Pairs
Jack Britten & Devon Roe Lavery - bronze, Grade 4 Mixed and Men's Pairs
Megan Quick, Phoebe Simeons & Emily Peck - bronze, Grade 4 Women's Group
2014-10-10
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