CENTRAL Galaxy Coventry Trampoline Club gymnasts George Bowen and Will Sheridan won bronze medals at the National Trampoline Championships at Telford International Centre.
Bowen, 18, and Sheridan, 15, both performed outstanding routines to secure bronze in their new age categories – in the first national trampoline competition since the beginning of the pandemic.
That places the pair as third best in the country in their respective age groups whilst Sheridan was also selected as a member of the English Junior Trampoline Squad before Covid intervened.
Despite having to balance training alongside studying for a university degree, Bowen was proud of his achievement in Telford and was delighted to be able to compete against some of the country’s best young gymnasts.
Bowen said: “I am proud of the routines that I did and was really happy to take home the bronze medal!
“It is a sport that I really enjoy doing so it was amazing to be back at a competition again.
“It was hard not being able to trampoline during the lockdown.”
The aformentioned pair were part of a seven-person strong team that included Sam Hateley, 13, and Grace-Louise Clarke, 9, who performed confidently in their first national competition appearance.
Hateley has also recently been selected for British Gymnastics’ Bounce for Gold programme – a talent identification initiative supported by the English Institute for Sport.
Elsewhere, Libby Austin and Jemma Macdonald, both 13, and Aidan Taylor, 12, all marked their return to national competition with upgraded routines having worked hard during lockdown.
Coach, Andy Cuming was full of praise for the young gymnasts.
He said: “We are incredibly proud of what our gymnasts have achieved. This competition shows that their hard work during lockdowns and their dedication to training since returning really has paid off.”
Central Galaxy is Coventry’s performance trampoline club, offering competitive and recreational classes for children and teenagers.
Their website can be found here.
