Yorkshire WTC Click Here to go to the Covid19 Information Page
The link for DE Photo’s pictures from the recent competition is below. Ask at your club for the event code.
The eerie empty competition hall at Catterick awaits the arrival of the gymnasts for 2 long weekends of ups, downs and flying around. Looping the loop and defying the ground.
2 full weekends saw over 650 Yorkshire gymnasts compete.
The 8th and 9th March were Club Grades 6 and 5, 30th and 31st March saw Regional 4,3,2,1, National 4,3,2,1 and Compulsory 5,4,3.
An amazing 4 days that had Catterick Garrison buzzing with the regions gymnasts. There were grins, there were tears and then more grins. Surprises, achievements and a huge celebration of our incredibly tough and amazing sport.
Well Done Gymnasts Each and Everyone!
The WTC is made up of volunteers who give substantial amounts of time and effort to try and make Yorkshire WA Gymnastics a rewarding experience throughout the region. The buzz, the enthusiasm and achievements of the 100’s of gymnasts that compete at the competitions is what lifts those volunteers spirits and reminds them what it is all for.
Thank you to the many people who support the competitions and make them possible, those that set up the equipment and equally those that put it away after a long and tiring weekend. Sometimes this put away can fall on the same few people exhausted at the end of the competition. Sunday 31st showed what happens when everyone does their bit. Significant numbers of people helped, the arena was set down in just over an hour and everybody got to leave at a reasonable time. A massive THANK YOU to all those that stopped and hopefully this will set a trend in 2019 for lots of help and lots of swift packaways.
In a village called Wilsden, in the West Riding of Yorkshire the first blue plaque honouring the birth place of an individual gymnast was unveiled.
In 1928, at the Amsterdam Olympic games, women were allowed to compete gymnastics for the first time. Wearing short tunics and thick black woollen stockings, the British Ladies Olympic team performed drill, apparatus and vault. As our home page has commemorated for sometime, that team of 12 contained not 1 but 4 Yorkshire gymnasts.
One of those 4 was Edith Carrie Pickles, known to the world as Carrie Pickles and after marriage as Carrie Pollard. She and her team mates secured the bronze medal and put British and Yorkshire Women’s Gymnastics on the world stage.
Carrie started at All Saints Gym Club, continued to train at Bradford Gym Club and secured Yorkshire Champion and British Champion on her path to the Olympics.
Carrie went on to be the British Ladies’ Olympic Gymnastics Coach at both the 1948 London Games and the 1952 Helsinki Games. Back in Yorkshire she ran the Saltaire and Bingley Gym Clubs. Carrie coached at all levels, those that just wanted the sheer joy of gymnastics through to those aspiring to Olympic success, including amongst these her two daughters.
There are many still actively involved in gymnastics throughout Yorkshire, who came from her stable and carry her influence both in the region and the sport.
In 2018, on the 90th anniversary of the Amsterdam games a crowd funding page was launched to support the cost needed for this memorable plaque. As the appeal drew to a close, Yorkshire Women’s Artistic Gymnastics contacted the organisers and offered to contribute the outstanding amounts needed. A donation of a £150 was made to honour an influential representative of women’s gymnastics in Yorkshire. The contributions from Yorkshire WAG and the many others, were able to raise sufficient funds to not only support the plaque, but to contribute a trophy to Saltaire Gym Club.
Yorkshire Women’s Artistic Gymnastics are proud to have been a significant supporter in bringing about another milestone for gymnastics and in honouring one of the county’s early successes.
The first Yorkshire WA Squad took place on the 24th March and kicked off with excellent attendance and a fantastic attitude.
We welcomed Paddy Lavelle to the county with Yorkshire hospitality and a willingness to benefit from the expertise which has produced the first British European and World Champion in tumbling. Paddy serves as the tumbling representative for British Gymnastics.
Paddy spent time with each group of gymnasts in turn, working on technique and building blocks. His enthusiasm as well as his expertise was inspiring. When not working with Paddy the gymnasts worked on the apparatus and with grades approaching this was clearly the focus for gymnasts and coaches alike.
As this was the first session of 2019 the gymnasts received their log books and spent some time at the end of the session to note down what was learnt and to get to know each other a little better. An enjoyable and enthusiastic start to the Yorkshire WA 2019 Squad Programme. Well done to all involved and a big thank you to Paddy for kicking the year off in style, we hope you will come back to see us again in the future and see the fruits of your input.
Yorkshire gymnast Megan Bridge (Gymmagic) vaulted her way to the podium at last weekend’s British Championships. Shown here proudly wearing her bronze medal in front of the apparatus that lifted her to success. Congratulations to Megan on an outstanding performance.
Nominations submitted, trial completed, coaches and gymnasts told, suitable permissions gathered and the wait is over……….
Yorkshire WA Gymnastics are pleased to announce it’s Squad for 2019. Listed below in alphabetical order are the gymnasts who came forward, gave it a go and secured a place. Congratulations to all and we look forward to seeing you there.
Well done!
| Abigail Campbell | Junior | Jessica Rodgers | Senior |
| Abigail Virgo | Senior | Kate Crossley | Senior |
| Ally Booker | Senior | Keira Thornton | Senior |
| Amie Cawkwell | Senior | Leila Lih | Junior |
| Amy Artojos | Senior | Libby Cree | Junior |
| Anya Coates | Junior | Libby Wilson | Junior |
| Caitlin Robinson | Junior | Lily Jean Newton | Junior |
| Charise Lunga | Junior | Lily Knight | Senior |
| Charlotte Willcoxson | Junior | Lois Hague | Junior |
| Claire Zeng | Junior | Lola Pritchard | Senior |
| Cordelia Ming | Senior | Macie Buxton | Junior |
| Darcey Fearnley | Junior | Maisie Taylor Williams | Senior |
| Elsie Greig | Senior | Matilda Swift | Junior |
| Emily Holroyd | Senior | Megan Bridge | Senior |
| Emily Travis | Senior | Millie Williams | Junior |
| Erin Geoghegan | Senior | Naimh Selby | Senior |
| Erin Ryan | Junior | Nina Deery | Senior |
| Eva Marathalingam | Junior | Olivia Cham | Senior |
| Faye Armstrong | Junior | Olivia Munro | Junior |
| Gabriela Suroya | Senior | Poppy Harris | Senior |
| Grace Wood | Senior | Pyper Mai Robinson | Junior |
| Happiness Dissundi | Junior | Rebecca Wood | Senior |
| Harriet Blackburn | Junior | Ruby Glover | Junior |
| Holly Blake | Senior | Ruby Potter | Junior |
| Hope Birch | Senior | Savannah Noorfoster | Senior |
| Isobel Church | Senior | Scarlett Booth | Senior |
| Isobel Gillett | Senior | Sophie Goldsmith | Junior |
| Jasmine Milward Wright | Junior | Summer Sutton | Junior |
| Jessica Burton | Senior |
This day ended up being so much more than ‘just’ a trial, it was a Yorkshire event in itself. 18 clubs and 121 gymnasts passed through the process and did so with style, enthusiasm and teamwork. Whenever Yorkshire gymnasts, coaches and clubs come together, be it for clinics, workshops, competitions, YES or in this case a squad trial the atmosphere is phenomenal.
The squad selection will be announced shortly but this is a moment to recognise the triallists one and all, whether this year they secured a place or not. The energy, enthusiasm and sheer joy in gymnastics was overwhelmingly evident.
If this year you weren’t successful don’t let that put you off, we look forward to seeing you next year to have another go. Well done to everyone who gave it a try!
The first YES training session of 2019 went ahead on Sunday the 10th of February at TSV gymnastics.
8 clubs signed up for the event with over 30 gymnasts taking part, 16 coaches with gymnasts and another coach / judge as well as a club judge who had signed up for an opportunity to practice.
Every club had ownership of part of the warm up to get things going and meaning the gymnasts themselves led from the beginning. They quickly understood this was their session and stepped up to show their comrades from other clubs how to do their part.
5 rotations, Vault, Bars, Beam, Floor and Conditioning. Everywhere you turned there were gymnasts trying different techniques and coaches helping each other. The YES principle through and through.
A fantastic flying start to Yorkshire WAG’s year, well done to everyone who took part and thank you for yet again making YES a success! I look forward to seeing you all at the next one.
Getting things going……
Lift off to Yes 2019!
All ages working hard……
Focussed coaches, focussed gymnasts.
Even the Yorkshire WAG Squad Director can’t help but get in on the act!
A successful Yorkshire YES session finishing with the traditional team photo.
Next YES Session 2nd June 2019.
