Caithness gymnasts put on a dazzling show at national event
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MEMBERS of Caithness Gymnastics Club wowed the crowd at the national Gymfest event in Motherwell last weekend.
The Caithness Fusion and Caithness Rhythmic sections – comprising around 30 gymnasts in all – got a great reception for their respective disciplines in what is the UK's premier non-competitive gymnastics festival and one of the most popular events on the Scottish gymnastics calendar.
The 20-strong Fusion display team, whose members range in age from seven to 28, were accompanied by coaches Kelsey Christie, Suzanne McLaren and Lauren Mackay.
The gymnasts entertained the huge, sold-out crowd with their original and unique performance of A World Unknown.
The seven-minute routine tells the story of a lone trekker who becomes lost in the jungle only to be found by an indigenous tribe. It was packed with tumbles, somersaults, dance, balances and plenty of action.
The routine was so well received that the coaches were approached and asked to consider taking part in next year’s Gym For Life Challenge. This is a huge accomplishment for the club whose coaches choreograph the whole routine and the gymnasts who perform their skills and bring the story to life.
The group will be performing at local events throughout the summer months with their first performance being at the Mey 10K on May 26.
The 10 Caithness Rhythmic gymnasts travelled with their coaches Diane Gibson, Sine Hamilton and Alana McPhee and some of the parents.
The gymnasts performed a routine lasting almost seven minutes to a medley of Abba songs. They dazzled the audience not only with their sparkly outfits but with their amazing skills with the ribbon, rope and hoop which were enjoyed by a capacity crowd who gave them encouragement during the performance and rousing applause at the end.
This was Gymfest's first visit to the Ravenscraig Regional Sports Facility, a purpose-built centre created on a portion of the land that housed the now demolished steel plant.
The event had been held in Aberdeen for the previous two years.
More than 70 teams from across the UK and over 1600 gymnasts took part in a celebration of gymnastics for all regardless of age, gender, race or ability.
