Okehampton Gym Club ran its first club tumbling competition in December. The competition was a fundraising event to raise money for a sprung tumbling track to enable its more advanced gymnasts to enter regional level competitions.
Each gymnast from the club performed a basic pass on floor mats or an advanced tumbling pass on an inflatable air track, and a range and conditioning routine to assess their strength and flexibility. The scores from each pass and the routine were added together to form the total mark.
The simplest Club 1 and Club 2 passes included forward rolls, jumps and cartwheels. Leah Öztürk took gold and Hollie Kiersey took silver in Club 1. Stanley Everitt won gold in Club 1, GMPD.
Zola Taylor won the Club 2, U8 class, with Nevah Richards close behind in second and Vinnie Richards coming third. In Club 2, U11, Abi Pinn came first with some neat passes, Tabitha Bull-Wiggins came second and Ayla Taylor third.
The intermediate Regional 1 consisted of round offs and cartwheels, with two age groups battling it out for medals. Alice Smith came first in the U10 category, with Eloise Cole in second and Freya Cavalier-White in third. In the U14s, Lily Carter took the gold medal, with Erin Pengelly winning silver and Daisy Garland taking bronze.
The more advanced Regional 2 and National 2 levels were performed on the air track, with skills ranging from handsprings and round offs to flicks and somersaults. Demelza Brock won the Regional 2. In the National 2 competition, all three competitors showed some strong tumbling, with the range and conditioning deciding the placings. Alice Pearce took the gold, with Tallulah Pavey taking silver and Shea Coyle bronze.
The club competition concluded a successful year of fundraising for new equipment, and is set to be an annual event.