Gym Club are hitting the heights (From Penarth Times)

Gym Club are hitting the heights

THE PENARTH gym club have had so much good news in the last week.

First of all young Elinor Lewis became Welsh schools' champion for her age group when she proudly represented Penarth's Ysgol Pen-y-Garth in the national schools vault and tumble finals in Tenby.

An excellent result in the Cardiff and Vale and Glamorgan preliminary round gained the 11- year-old Mighty Atom a place in the team which would take on the best school gymnasts from the rest of Wales.

A twisting somersault on basic mats rocketed our local lass into first position and her tremendous vaulting ability clinched her winning position.

Her age group team and the team title for all sections went to Cardiff and the Vale and so our young miss came home with three golds.

Elinor's next challenge will be the British Schools' final.

Also from the local Welsh school but now entered for her club was Finlay Haswell on the first rung of the competition ladder.

Finlay, whose eighth birthday was just two weeks ago performed at the Welsh Institute of Sport like a veteran.

Totally unfazed that there were 76 competitors from all parts of Wales in the national grade championship, she gave near perfect performances to win the event with a clear margin.

Her work was roundly applauded by the capacity audience who clearly recognised that there are great things to come from this little mite.

Finlay and her clubmate Rhiannon Morris are both proud members of the Welsh national preparation, Elinor has a junior squad place whilst the extremely accomplished 13-year-old Lucy Williams, who was unable to participate in the grades, is in the national squad for more senior gymnasts.

In the club grade three event, Penarth fielded three young ladies, Rebecca Reid, Sophie Erickson and Joanne Price.

They were unable to sustain the perfection required throughout their event, but their elegant style and obvious talent still left them in high positions and with certificates awarding their distinctions.

Rebecca missed the bronze medal by a hairs breadth, but her fourth position score automatically selects her to represent Wales in the British event in April.

All three girls together with Lucy, Elinor and Alexandra Dukes hold places in the South Wales squad.

None of this success would be possible without the gymnasts acquiring good body management.

Leading this is coach Lesley McJennett whose sound knowledge of safe skill building is so well regarded that she has been recently charged with responsibility for the training of the South Wales preparation squad.

The best 20 eight and nine-year-olds from clubs in the south area have now been selected. The girls will thrive in this elite environment.

GB international honours were awarded to three of Penarth Gym Club's special needs members. The team for the 2003 World Special Olympics has been announced.

Of the 16 strong team from throughout Britain, three of them are from the Penarth club. James Savory, Emma Stokes and Sarah Toshack were obvious choices and are already working hard to hone their set pieces for the games to be held in Dublin.

Their role model is Martin Vick, who won three golds and four silver medals in 1999 and is now an important member of the club coaching staff.

Added to that, Mrs Gwynedd Lingard has been appointed head coach to the team and Mr Jeff Savory selected to serve as one of the four coaches.

The respect that is accorded to the Penarth club in this specialist field is evidenced by them gaining even more team places than the city of London.

Atop of this, Sarah Toshack was requested to trial for the British gymnastics disabilities squad. At the British centre of gymnastics excellence, a very testing programme of skill elements had to be executed.

Most of them Sarah took well in her stride.

The influence of her training alongside the club's mainstream squad members was plain to see in her execution and bearing, although the results have yet to be made official it left her coaches in no doubt that her inclusion is automatic.

Two days prior to this trial, Sarah attended the Vale of Glamorgan sports personality awards where she took the trophy in the special achievement section.

Gwynedd Lingard who founded Penarth Gym Club over 40 years ago, accompanied Sarah to the function and was surprised and delighted to be awarded a silver salver for a life long contribution to sport. So the Penarth club goes form strength to strength.

With a growing number of boys participating and coach training and talent identification programmes in place - the future looks rosy too.

Another photo is featured on the back page.