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Durham’s Gymnasts Make up Half
Wednesday 19th September 2008
GB Team selectors couldn’t fail to be impressed as two of the Deerness girls teams took top honours qualifying in first place in their events for the Junior World Championships. Also picked to represent Great Britain were the Men’s Group, the Men’s U17 Group and the U17 Men’s Pairs.
This year The Junior World Championships are hosted by Scotland at Kelvin Hall in Glasgow and run from September 29th to October 6th.
For the U17 Women's Pairs, Alexandra Stephens (15) and Rebekah Cook (11) the Championships will be their first International competition.
Rebekah says she's over the moon, 'I feel excited. It's a huge achievement and a great honour to be the youngest gymnast from the club to be selected to represent my country. I get nervous but I just like to be really quiet so I can think. I kind of disappear into my own world.'
The team coach is Karl Wharton who says supplying 50% of the junior British team is testament to the fantastic dedication they all show, 'It's a great honour for both Deerness Valley Gym Club and The City of Durham to have so many gymnasts selected to represent their country at the World Championships. We have high hopes of podium success for all our gymnasts. Let's hope they can follow on from GB success in Beijing!'
The boys and girls all train at Deerness Leisure Centre, which has already been highlighted as a potential Olympic training camp for the 2012 London Olympics.
Manager Mark Harley says this is all great news for both
the centre and the wider area and very well deserved by a
dedicated team.
'All the coaches work on a voluntary basis for up to 5
hours a night and even longer at the weekend. The
gymnasts practice 5 times a week and perform moves over
and over again until they reach their desired level. It's
brilliant to see all their hard work pay off. It's the
sort of dedication which keeps Deerness club as Britain's
number 1."