GYMNASTBritish Gymnastics Digital Magazine SPRING 2015
NATASHA COATES 2014 ALL-AROUND DISABILITY BRITISH CHAMPION CONTENTS WHAT’S IN THIS ISSUE...
BRITISH GYMNASTICS CHAMPIONSHIPS NATASHA COATES The build up to this year’s most exciting event Interview - “We are overcoming barriers...” 108 22
30 36 DISABILITY GYMNASTICS NILE WILSON A South African adventure Interview - “The Commonwealth Games changed my life”
Copyright © 2015 SUBSCRIBE TO Published by British Gymnastics. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may THE MAGAZINE be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without written permission RIGHT HERE of British Gymnastics.
Identification and naming of individual gymnasts on printed photographs is determinedby LET’S GET the information received and therefore cannot be guaranteed for accuracy. The views expressed by the individual contributors are not necessarily those of British SOCIAL, Gymnastics. Equally the inclusion of advertisements in this magazine does not constitute endorsement by British Gymnastics of the products or services concerned. British FOLLOW Gymnastics is unable to recommend any product, guarantee that it is free of any banned substance or take any responsibility for any claims of effectiveness. US HERE Cover photo - Natasha Coates
British Gymnastics Foundation Charity Cycle Ride
We believe that gymnastics has the power to transform lives, but we need your help to do it!
On the 15th August 2015, we’ll be heading to Yorkshire for our first ever fundraising challenge. Following some of the roads taken by the 2014 Tour de France, the challenging terrain and beautiful landscapes offer wonderful cycling, as we set off from Skipton and cycle along the beautiful Wharfedale valley and into the hills.
With two route options available, either 35 miles or 66 miles, it’s time to dust off your bike and get training, as the day offers you a fun challenge no matter what your level of experience. It’s only £35 to enter and all we ask is that you fundraise at least £100 so that we can continue to create opportunities through gymnastics, to bring real improvements to the lives of people and communities most in need.
You will be supplied with a training guide when you register and everyone who takes part will get a free goody bag at the end of the ride. Plus, if you’re not too distracted by the stunning scenery, you may even get to see some gymnastics legends on route.
For more information or to join in just click here. FRIDAY 27 MARCH On Friday’s agenda it’s the country’s top junior gymnasts who will be GET READY FOR THE fighting it out to take various British titles.
First up, the junior women’s gymnasts (Britain’s best 14 and 15 year olds) take the stage and compete for the coveted all-around title where they compete on four apparatus, the vault, uneven bars, balance beam BATTLE and floor exercise and their scores are then combined for an overall ranking. The event also doubles up as qualification for individual event finals on Sunday, where only the top eight gymnasts can qualify on each OF THE piece of apparatus - so there’s a lot to play for! BRITS
Our 2015 British Championships promise to be a spectacle of jaw dropping gymnastics with our Olympic, World and European stars fighting for the prestigious tiles. With the World Championships taking place in Glasgow later this year and serving as qualification for Rio, the competition will be fiercer than ever to take gold and steal the spotlight. Gymnasts will pull out their biggest moves to impress and outdo each other.
So what’s at stake? Both the senior men and women are battling not only to be crowned the best in Britain but fight to prove why they deserve to represent Great Britain at the European Championships in April in Montpellier, France.
So what’s happening on each day of the championships? We explain everything in this article. VIEW THE OFFICIAL Why not also click on your favourite picture and PROGRAMME download it to use as your wallpaper or tweet ONLINE your favourite to @britgymnastics using hashtag #BattleoftheBrits! HERE’S HOW TO FOLLOW THE EVENT LIVE!
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In the men’s junior categories (under 16 and under 18 years), gymnasts battle for not only all-around titles with total scores across the floor exercise, pommel, rings, vault, parallel bars and horizontal bar but also for individual apparatus medals. They also go one step further in which they aim to get as high as score possible to qualify as one of the top eight gymnasts across all age groups (including seniors) to make Sunday’s masters finals.
GYMNAST 13 SATURDAY 28 MARCH The coveted senior all-around titles are up for grabs on Saturday. As with the juniors, this event crowns the top three male and female gymnasts who have the highest overall score when all pieces of apparatus are added together. The competition also serves as a qualifier for the women for Sunday’s individual finals (top eight gymnasts on each piece of apparatus) and for the men the top three highest scorers on each piece will be awarded medals and they will also look to qualify in the top eight across all age groups for Sunday’s master’s finals.
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SUNDAY 28 MARCH Sunday’s competition see’s the top eight apparatus specialists battle it out to take individual titles. For the women, the juniors and seniors compete separately and for the men we see the master’s event which includes the top eight qualifiers across all age groups (under 16/under 18 and seniors).
The first session includes senior women’s vault and uneven bars, the junior women’s uneven bars and beam and men’s masters floor, pommel horse and rings. With an array of world stars on the women’s uneven bars this will surely be and exciting event and the men’s pommel is always a closely fought battle between World and Olympic champions.
In the second session, it’s the senior women’s balance beam and floor exercise, the junior women’s floor exercise and vault and the men’s masters vault, parallel bars and horizontal bar. Things really start to step up a gear as the women must control their nerves for the balance beam and must pull out all the stops on the floor as they perform all out for titles. The men finish with the horizontal bar, always a spectacular and daring event.
Alongside the event finals, for only the second time ever the top disability gymnasts in the country will compete for their apparatus titles in the Disability Masters. This is a great opportunity for the gymnasts to experience the thrill of competing on a world class artistic gymnastics podium in a fantastic venue in front of thousands of spectators. INTERVIEW
By Olivia Howard
INTERVIEW NATASHA COATES 2014 ALL-AROUND DISABILITY “WE ARE BRITISH CHAMPION OVERCOMING
20 year old Natasha Coates like so BARRIERS many before her fell in love with the sport of gymnastics at an early age. THAT YOU However back in 2013, when she was WATCH OUR just 18 years old, the budding gymnast INCREDIBLE suddenly became extremely poorly VIDEO AND DON’T EVEN and was diagnosed with a disease DISCOVER that would change her life for good, GYMNASTICS KNOW EXIST” essentially she became ‘allergic to exercise’. However, determined for her diagnosis not to prevent her doing what she loved, Natasha continued her gymnastics, this time entering in Disability Gymnastics competitions and in 2014 was crowned the all-around artistic British Champion. Natasha will compete alongside other disabled gymnasts at the 2015 British Disability Masters at the Echo Arena Liverpool on 29th March 2015. Want to find out more about Disability Gymnastics and what can be achieved? Read on to find out all about Natasha’s incredible journey, we promise you will be left feeling inspired...
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HOW DID YOU FIRST less frequent I was able to return to HOW DOES YOUR BECOME INVOLVED IN gymnastics. For some bizarre reason I DISABILITY AFFECT YOUR GYMNASTICS AND WHAT thought I would go back to gym and TRAINING? WHAT DO YOU WAS IT ABOUT THE everything would be the same, boy HAVE TO DO DIFFERENTLY SPORT THAT YOU LOVED? was I wrong; I had a lot of work ahead FROM BEFORE? of me! “I first started gymnastics just after “I train alongside mainstream my eighth birthday at my local leisure The doctors eventually found that gymnasts so I’m coached in pretty centre. It was actually rhythmic I suffer from rare condition which much the same way as everyone else, gymnastics. I loved to be able to bend affects cells in my body called Mast however the way I do each piece is in all sorts of directions and show Cells. Mast Cells normally help protect a little different. I run to warm up, people my splits. After about a year you from disease and aid in healing like most gymnasts, and when I run I moved to an artistic club because I of wounds by releasing chemicals I make sure I don’t breathe too fast wanted to try bars, beam and vault. I such as histamine and leukotrienes. or too slowly in order to maintain a remember getting a new long sleeve However, in people like me the release healthy breathing rate and keep my blue and silver leotard and at the of those chemicals can happen for oxygen levels up. As I start running age of 9 I was pretty sure it made me no real reason, even when there is no everything feels normal, but I soon better at gymnastics when I wore it, attack. And if there is an attack, the start to lose the feeling in my toes and I wore it to nearly every session for release is also out-of-proportion and fingers and that will slowly spread up years until I finally grew out of it!” too many chemicals are spilled out. to my knees and elbows. By the end of The official diagnosis I have is called the run I can’t feel when I’m touching Chronic Spontaneous Angioedema the floor with my feet, I can only feel and Spontaneous Urticaria leading the physical motion of my weight TALK US THROUGH to Idiopathic Anaphylaxis. I also shifting. There are normally no pins or YOUR DIAGNOSIS – HOW have Asthma, Oral allergy syndrome, needles, its complete numbness, like YOU FOUND OUT, HOW Eczema, Hayfever and Raynauds my legs and arms aren’t there, yet I YOU FELT AND WHAT syndrome. still have perfect control of them.” HAPPENED WITH YOUR GYMNASTICS? As time went on I became sensitive to more and more triggers that cause “In May 2013 when I was out with reactions of varying severity. At first it friends I went into Anaphylactic shock was sweat and then it was heat, the and became very poorly incredibly smell of some foods and chemicals, quickly. We had no idea what had getting to cold and water In contact caused it so when it happened again with my skin. The list is endless and two days later I was determined to varies from day to day. I was just find the cause. I had extensive tests getting back into gymnastics when and while all these were going on during a normal training session my I was still going into Anaphylactic throat began to swell. I had literally shock regularly, at one point I suffered just landed a vault, and by the time I eight separate life threatening had got back to the end of the runway reactions in two weeks. I didn’t I couldn’t breathe properly. I was choose to stop gymnastics, I could immediately taken to hospital and just never make the training sessions that’s how I learnt I was allergic to because I was always in hospital. exercise - talk about learning the As my reactions started to become hard way!”
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VAULT BARS
“Vault is probably the easiest piece “I love bars and I would love to try for me to compete. I get tired some more difficult skills but the IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN doing repetitions in the gym, but at inability to feel my hands presents GIVING DISABILITY GYMNASTICS competitions it’s over quickly and a slight challenge. When I jump to A TRY, FIND OUT A CLUB NOW ON I just have to focus on where I put catch the high bar, I can’t actually feel DISCOVER my feet. Due to the inability to feel my hands on the bar, I have to wait GYMNASTICS my feet I do a bit of a strange run until the downwards pull to know if to try and get my pacing right and I I’m actually holding the bar or not. OR CHECK OUT THE can’t feel where I hit the springboard Bars is fast pace for me, not only or how much power I have behind making it difficult for me to breathe I’M IN myself. Once I push off the vault I sufficiently during the routine but LIST OF EVENTS have absolutely no idea where I am when I land my dismount, all the and whereas most gymnasts would blood is still rushing to my muscles feel their feet hit the floor, I don’t, I and not to my head so I have between feel the force just after I have hit the 3-10 seconds to present and lie down floor so there is a slight delay in my to prevent myself fainting. It can be reaction. I have only ever stuck one a little embarrassing because people vault that I can recall and that was at see my land fine on my feet and then British Championships - my face was just lie down in the same spot. I’m not priceless!” just being lazy, honest!”
BEAM FLOOR
“I would say that beam is the piece “I love floor, it is my favourite piece of equipment I find most difficult. of apparatus. I love to dance, show When I stand on it I can’t feel where my personality and tumble. My my feet are placed. This scares me lungs don’t love floor quite so much! most when I am connecting jumps, I work off a lung and a half after for example I take off and land back complications from a respiratory on the beam before pushing off again arrest last year, so I try to breathe as to the connecting jump and I have no much as I can in between skills. It’s idea if my feet hit the beam correctly been known in the past that I just before pushing off again, so it leads stop mid routine and have to walk to some rather interesting attempts. off either because my throat starts I competed a backward walkover at swelling or I just can’t get enough air the Disability British Championships. into my lungs to continue. This is a When I go back and place my hands rare occasion as I’m usually good at down, I can’t actually feel my hands knowing if I will make it through my touching the beam so it isn’t always full routine or not. A big part of your easy to know where I am or if I am in floor routine is tumbling, the only line, it’s literally just repetition and issue I have is that as I come out of pure luck if I stick it. It’s perfectly safe; a round off into a flick I can’t feel my I just get frustrated when I fall off!” feet to know the angle I’m taking off at, this makes me reluctant to put a lot of power behind my tumbles or connect skills.”
GYMNAST 26 GYMNAST 27 INTERVIEW
HOW DO YOU FEEL WHAT DO YOU THINK TALK US THROUGH THE ABOUT COMPETING OF THE INTRODUCTION HIGHS AND LOWS OF AT THE ECHO ARENA OF THE BRITISH YOUR CAREER? AT THE 2015 BRITISH GYMNASTICS I’M IN CHAMPIONSHIPS? DISABILITY PROGRAMME? “I had originally aimed to compete at the disability grades early last “I’m so excited about competing at “I think the I’M IN program is year, I was training my routines the Echo and I’m a little nervous too fantastic! People didn’t really and everything was going to plan. but my coach and I have taken every know about disability gymnastics However only a few weeks before opportunity to minimise the risks and beforehand but now they do. There the competition I suffered another to make the day run smoothly. I have are loads more opportunities for anaphylactic reaction, this one being new routines on both beam and floor disabled gymnasts of every level and particularly bad and I suffered a and I’m really excited for everyone also for coaches. It shows how British respiratory arrest. Being the incredibly to see them, especially my floor. It’s Gymnastics is an inclusive sport, it stubborn gymnast I am, I was back going to be a surprise for everyone gets people involved and inspires training 8 days after this but it was on the day but I can tell you it’s a people, people who maybe thought a huge setback I am still struggling beautiful version of a well-known pop that they couldn’t, that anything is with complications. The biggest high song which I absolutely love and has a possible!“ of my career so far was my results real meaning to me.” from the British Championships last DO YOU HAVE ANY November. It was my first disability FINAL THOUGHTS FOR competition and by far the biggest I DO YOU HAVE ANY OUR READERS? had ever done so I had no idea what SPORTING HEROES/ to expect, I just wanted to go and do GYMNASTS THAT YOU “Disability Gymnastics is a fantastic the best I could and I was really happy TAKE INSPIRATION sport and has given me so with my results. I came away with gold FROM? many opportunities that I would on all four apparatus, as well as the recommend it to anyone. If you want all-around title for my category which “I love the style and skill of to give gymnastics a try, find your was a complete dream come true and Catherine Lyons, Lisa Mason and local club who offer inclusive sessions to then be announced as the highest Aliya Mustafina. They really put the and get involved and remember, next scoring female of the competition, I artistic in artistic gymnastics and time you see a disability gymnast, couldn’t believe it and it still doesn’t are beautiful to watch. However I we are overcoming barriers that you feel real! It was really funny because would say that most of my inspiration don’t even know exist.” when it was announced for me to comes from my friend and fellow walk to the podium I had been stood disability gymnast Tiri Hughes. Tiri is for a while so I was a little wobbly visually impaired and is an incredible stepping up onto the podium and gymnast; we always talk and give each when I was handed the large trophy other advice when times are tough. I just thought to myself ‘do not drop It so nice to have someone that just this’! It still hasn’t sunk in and I feel gets it straight away and we always like someone’s going to wake me up joke that if we combined ourselves we one day and it will have all been a would have enough working bits to dream!” compete in mainstream gymnasts.”
GYMNAST 29 A team of five British Gymnastics members including Patrick Bonner, British Gymnastics Disability and Inclusion Manager and Hazel Coates, British Gymnastics Disability Technical DISABILITY Committee recently spent time in South Africa conducting workshops providing disability training across the country. GYMNASTICS Through the delivery of disability gymnastics, coaches can enable all disabled gymnasts to achieve their full potential, focusing on A TRIP TO what they can do, not on what they can’t do. From fundamental movement activity to elite gymnastics skills, disability gymnastics SOUTH AFRICA has something exciting, fun and engaging for all disabled people to enjoy; it is also RITISH GYMNASTICS IS WORLD RENOWNED AND RECOGNISED BY widely recognised as providing many physical THE INTERNATIONAL GYMNASTICS FEDERATION FOR ITS DISABILITY and social benefits for participants, such as B developing increased coordination skills and GYMNASTICS PROGRAMME THAT ENSURES GYMNASTICS IS ADAPTED building confidence. TO MEET THE NEEDS OF EACH GYMNAST.
GYMNAST 30 Patrick Bonner was delighted with the success There was a real enthusiasm from everyone we of the trip to South Africa saying “British spoke to, to make adaptations where needed to Gymnastics has been working with the South enable more people with physical, sensory and African Gymnastics Federation for almost a learning disabilities to enjoy gymnastics. decade now, and the inclusive development In Britain we have been working on our disability that has taken place in South Africa in that gymnastics programme since 1984 so have over time is quite significant. Even with far fewer 30 years of experience and now have over 180 gymnastics facilities and equipment in South clubs working with disabled people, which is not Africa compared with that in Great Britain, always the case everywhere. What our trip to SAGF has shown that with the right attitude South Africa proved is that clubs and coaches to inclusion and proper planning to include have an amazing attitude toward inclusion and disabled people in gymnastics, any National there was a real passion to work with ourselves Gymnastics Governing Body or Club can include in furthering their own programme going disabled people in our sport – you just need to forward. get stuck in and go for it! Gymnastics can teach us so much; it’s ‘the’ Our recent trip was an amazing success, there foundation sport to help develop physical, was a fantastic reception everywhere we cognitive and vitally social skills. It teaches went and a great diversity of people involved. acceptance, patience and life lessons that Everyone took across the message that everyone has a different ability yet everyone gymnastics is for everybody. can still find their own success in sport.
GYMNAST 32 GYMSHOPBRITISH GYMNASTICS OFFICIAL RETAIL PARTNER NOW
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By Olivia Howard
INTERVIEW “The Commonwealth Games had any battery because I was changed my life; I went from being getting thousands of notifications a junior and having an incredible and messages on social media - I Europeans as the team captain, was gob smacked. But the amount to securing my place on the of support I got and continue to “ Commonwealth Games team for do so is amazing, I love keeping my THE England. I went to the event with fans happy and up to date with my no expectations and to come away progress.” with four medals was amazing! COMMONWEALTH The event was a big stepping Nile finished 2014 with his first stone towards the Olympic Games World Championships in China. He in Rio and I will never forget the was pleased with his performances GAMES CHANGED experience. Since then it’s given and the experience even with an me a massive confidence boost injured wrist… knowing I do belong in the senior MY LIFE” team and I can be up there with the “Going to the World best.” Championships in China was NILE WILSON unbelievable and I worked so With so many major events in hard last year and I am continuing one year, Nile tells us how it was to do so to enable me to have actually the Europeans where he experiences like that. It was a tough felt the most pressure but that the time as I had pains in my wrist prior experience in Glasgow was certainly to the event, so even though it a learning curve as well… was the biggest event I have ever competed in mentally I had to deal “I felt more pressure at the with a painful injury. It was tough Junior Europeans than at the to manage but the team from Commonwealth as I felt I just had British Gymnastics and the English to win. Three years ago in 2012 I Institute of Sport were fantastic took silver in the all-around, so in and once we got out there I just 2014 I wanted to take gold and the went for it. The competition was team was expecting its fourth title like Europeans and Commonwealth too. I wanted to do it not just for Games rolled into one pressure Although the 2014 Commonwealth After winning five titles at the Junior myself but for the whole of the GB wise but it was certainly a great Games in Glasgow may seem European Championships, then team. I felt less pressure in Glasgow experience.” a distant memory for some, for being catapulted into stardom at but it was hard handling the media young gymnast Nile Wilson it was the Commonwealth Games winning and suddenly being on television. a dream come true and an event four medals and finally competing There were 12000 people in the that changed his life for the better. in his first World Championships, area too and I have never competed Now in 2015, the gymnastics world 2014 was a whirl wind year for 19 in that sort of atmosphere – it was turns its eyes back to Glasgow for year old Nile, so we caught up with incredible. It was hard to get my the 2015 World Championships and the Leeds gymnast to look at back head around everything at first, Nile aims to compete on the same at his incredible year and find out during the Games my phone never stage but with his GB teammates what’s next… fighting for a place at Rio.
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It was after the World “I had surgery at the end of My next aim would be to Championships that Nile needed October2014 and it has been a compete at the European Games to get his wrist injury sorted slow and steady rehab back to in Baku in June. I’d love to be so he could concentrate on where I am now. I am still not fully fit for June and compete competing at his absolute best. fully fit but I am starting to get there then obviously it would After have a long period off, lots more confidence back and be great to go full circle and be as we move further into 2015, I am back doing gymnastics back in Glasgow again for the he looks to be back fully fit for again so I am really happy with World Championships ready for the summer and ultimately that. Within the next few weeks Rio.“ the World Championships in I am hoping to be back on all six Glasgow in October… pieces of apparatus again.
“MY NEXT AIM WOULD BE TO COMPETE AT THE EUROPEAN GAMES IN BAKU IN JUNE. I’D LOVE TO BE FULLY FIT FOR JUNE AND COMPETE THERE”
FOLLOW NILE ON HIS JOURNEY… TWITTER INSTAGRAM
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THE GYMNAST DIGITAL MAGAZINE VOLUME 53 ISSUE 1 Editor WHAT’S Tim Peake [email protected] Features Editor Olivia Howard COMING UP [email protected] Contributor Vera Atkinson [email protected] Design MARCH MAY JUNE JULY Karen Uppal, Mark Young & Joanne Turner 27-29 09 06-07 04 26 BGtv MEN’S & WOMEN’S PIPERS VALE GFA FLOOR & VAULT GYMNASTICS FOR ALL - GYMNASTICS FOR Gareth Finchett, Daniel Dyche & ARTISTIC BRITISH CHALLENGE WHITE, SILVER, GOLD GYMFUSION YORK ALL - GYMFUSION Simon Carswell CHAMPIONSHIPS Pipers Vale Gymnastics Club, LEVEL SPRING 2015 York Barbican, BOURNEMOUTH [email protected] Echo Arena, Ipswich COMPETITION York Bournemouth International Liverpool Redbridge Sports and Leisure Centre, British Gymnastics 16-17 Centre, Ilford 10-12 Bournemouth Official Photographer APRIL ACROBATIC NDP TRAMPOLINE & Alan Edwards FINALS 2015 14 TUMBLING NDP 30-31 www.f2images.com Fenton Manor Sports Complex, EMGA OPEN AGE FINALS BRITISH GYMNASTICS Stoke-on-Trent CLUB TEAM The International Centre, CHAMPIONSHIPS SERIES Advertising 25 Telford WEST MIDLANDS New College, Echo Arena, Anthony Cave Leicester NOVICE Liverpool Cabbell Publishing Ltd, COMPETITION 17 Wimbledon Studios, DISABILITY ARTISTIC 1 Deer Park Road, North Solihull Sports, 12-18 GYMNASTICS - NDP GYMNASTICS FOR ALL - London, Birmingham 20-21 SUBSCRIBE TO GRADES RHYTHMIC NDP FINALS GYMNAESTRADA THE LATEST SW19 3TL New College, Helsinki T. 0203 6037934 AND GROUP LEAGUE CALENDAR Leicester [email protected] 26 ROUND 1 DATES LONDON REGIONAL Fenton Manor Sports Complex, Published by CHALLENGE Stoke-on-Trent 18-19 17 GYMNASTICS FOR ALL - British Gymnastics Europa Gymnastics Centre, GYMNASTICS FOR ALL - GYMFUSION GUILDFORD Dartford Ford Hall, GYMFUSION Guildford Spectrum, Lilleshall National Sports Centre, LONDON Guildford Newport, The Churchill Theatre, Shropshire, Bromley TF10 9NB Tel 0345 1297129 Registered In England No. 1630001 VAT Reg. No. 100166672 GYMNAST 42 GYMNAST 43