Four gymnasts from Athena Sports Academy, had a very special weekend when they travelled to Stoke-on-Trent for the Acrobatic Gymnastics NDP National Finals.
Emily Wharton and Henley Bruce from Aycliffe, Millie Foster from Heighington and Joshua Greenwood from Shildon had previously won their Regional Finals in South Shields earlier in the year and qualified for the National finals last weekend.
First to compete, Joshua and Henley, on the Men’s Pair Grade 2 category. The pair took to the floor and eased through their fantastic routine. The standard for the British Champions at this grade is incredibly competitive but the boys were fabulous and achieved a great score, finishing in 5th place, only .31 from a medal: So close!
Joshua and Henley have worked so hard in training and to come this far has certainly taken the boys on a great journey, which we’re sure has only just begun.
Emily and Millie competed in the Disability Woman’s Pair – Grade 3 category. The girls performed, without a single nerve in sight, nailing their routine superbly.
The pair certainly put on a display to earn the gold medal and also the title of British Champions. This is an amazing achievement from two incredibly dedicated gymnasts who have done themselves and their supporters proud!
This weekend has once again brought recognition to a very young club, who are continuing to grow rapidly as its success continues to attract aspiring gymnasts.
Head Coach, Brittainy Fuller, who was with the Gymnasts over the weekend, said, “I am so so proud of all four of the gymnasts, their hard work and commitment has certainly paid off. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for these gymnasts and Athena now we’re in our own facility”.
Athena Sports Academy, who have just moved into their own facility full-time within Newton Aycliffe Leisure Centre, are always looking for youngsters to join us both recreationally and competitively. If you would like the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of our newly crowned British Champions at a National level there are classes for all ages and abilities including pre-school, disabilities and boys-only sessions.
Further information can be obtained from our website www.athenasportsacademy.co.uk or our facebook page www.facebook.com/gymnasticsatathena. Alternatively, you can contact athenasportsacademy@gmail.com
