Burnham-On-Sea and Highbridge gymnasts from the town’s Monarchs Gymnastics Club have this month been competing against some of the very best in Great Britain at the Acrobatic Gymnastics British Championships.
The club travelled to Stoke on Trent where Alice Kelson and her partner Evie Tissington who were only just beaten by the pair selected to compete in the world championships this year.
Joe Blake and his partner Kian Hawkes just missed out on winning the title of British Champions by finishing in second places.
“This was a huge success for such a small club of approximately 70 competitive gymnasts and probably the smallest, competing against clubs who have over 1,000 gymnasts in their clubs with their highest level gymnasts training for 20 plus hours a week,” said the club’s Mandy Warburton.
The results were: 12-18 womens pairs – Alice Kelson and Evie Tissington – 2nd place and silver medals; 12-18 mens pairs – Joe Blake and Kian Hawkes – 2nd place; 12-18 womens group – Eloise Baker, Heather Reed and Olivia Reed – 14th; 11-16 mens pair – Joe Reed and Mason Wall – 5th; 11-16 womens group – Ornela Velaj, Jinny Agar and Ava Debonis – 16th.
The Monarchs are hoping hoping to take a team of senior gymnasts to Wales in April for the Welsh Invitational Competition, which would be a first for the club.
