They're head over heels with delight

Swindon Evening Advertiser - published on 04 July 2003

GYMNASTS in Swindon are jubilant at the prospect of the creation of a new studio dedicated to their sport.

The Esprit Academy was formed last October and currently holds its practice sessions at Ridgeway School and Greendown School. But now the academy is to have premises of its own after Swindon Council granted permission to change the use of a former workshop on Turnpike Road in Blunsdon. The building will become a training centre for gymnasts of all ages and abilities. It will also run training courses for teachers who want to include gymnastics in the PE classes at schools. Three of the clubs gymnasts - Micia Falaki, nine, Jade Faulkner, nine, and Katie Faulkner, 11, made an impassioned plea to councillors at a meeting of the planning committee on Tuesday.

They said: "We really love gymnastics but we need somewhere proper to train because in the school hall the ceiling is too low for our equipment, "We love our gymnastics and with the new place we will work even harder."

Their coach Katy Smith wept with joy after the decision. She firmly believes Swindon could produce the next Olympic champion in gymnastics. Currently, gymnasts who want to take the sport seriously travel to Melksham, Bristol or London to receive adequate training. Holly Barrand's 10-year-old daughter Lucelia, has been doing gymnastics for six years and travels up to eight hours a week to use facilities out of Swindon. Holly, 41, of Old Town, said: "It is going to make a big difference having a centre within 10 minutes rather than having to travel so much. "A lot of gymnasts who have any talent leave Swindon. We have Swindon-born athletes who go on and represent other towns and clubs because we do not have the facilities to train them."

One such gymnast is current British Champion Rebecca Jose, a former New College Student, from Peatmoor. She won five individual and team gold medals for rhythmic gymnastics in the last Commonwealth Games and has been British Champion five times. As well as winning countless other trophies, she is currently ranked in the world's top 10.
Mark Hows, business manager for the academy, said: "We are delighted with the result. We have a lot of dedicated and talented gymnasts in the town and these facilities will cater for them."

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