GYMNASTICS: Glorious Ridge School claim multiple National Championships golds

The Ridge Junior School gymnasts competed at the National finals on May Bank Holiday weekend at the championships which were held in Stoke on Trent. The school team qualified for the competition after winning all of the categories at the Regional competition in March. The team have been training in their lunch times in preparation for this prestigious event. Representing the South West region, the eight gymnasts pitted their skills against the winners from the other twelve regional teams from across the UK.

The competition began on Saturday for The Ridge gymnasts, with brother and sister duo, James and Bethan Williams competing in the Under 14 Mixed pair category. James and Bethan, despite being only 10 and 8 respectively, performed brilliantly and were rewarded with a Gold medal winning score. Sunday was a busy day for The Ridge, where the team were participating in 4 more categories. Henry Skidmore (10) and James started the competition with a great performance in the Under 11 Boys’ pairs. During their training Henry and James have been consistently good and they were true to form on Sunday. The boys received their winner’s trophy and Gold medals in front of the large audience in the Fenton Manor Sports complex in Stoke where this annual competition was held. With very little time to gather his breath Henry was required to compete in the Under 11 Mixed pairs with his partner Ellise King (10). As these two gymnasts performed it was noticeable that the 2000 strong audience fell silent as the pair competed their routine. It was no surprise when Henry and Ellise were crowned British Schools’ champions 2015 as they took top spot on the podium. The Under 11 girls’ pairs was the next category, which is always a closely contested competition. Ellise was joined by her partner, Holly Stone (11). Their routine was fast and very entertaining and received roaring applause from the audience. There were a great many fine performances in this category and Ellise and Holly were proud of their silver medals, just 0.05 behind the winners. Finally, the Groups event, where 6 gymnasts compete together. Ellise and Holly, and team mates Evie Arpino Norvill (9), Abigail Clothier (11), Lauren Alvis (11) and Bethan Williams (8), took to the floor and performed a precise and challenging routine. The competitors’ scores were not displayed during the competition so it was a long and nervous wait for The Ridge team until the medal presentation. As the bronze and silver medal positions were presented to teams from the South East and North West respectively, there was an anxious moment before The Ridge team were announced as British Schools’ champions 2015. With 4 golds and a silver, the South West were also winners of the team trophy. “It was a brilliant day,” said Mrs Jane Mewse, who coaches the team at The Ridge. “It was great seeing our team on the top of the podium. This was an amazing achievement for these youngsters. They remained calm and composed throughout the day and truly deserved their success.”