Lanark's gymnasts raise funds for new premises

Lanark Gymnastics Club's bid to move to new training premises has been boosted by £8,000 raised at their recent Club Competition weekend.
Winners: Centre are gold medal winners Jude Hilson (left) and Freya Kenny; left are silver medal winners Madison Watson (left) and Sarah MacDonald; right are bronze medallists Esther McCurrie (left) and Chelsea Slavin.Winners: Centre are gold medal winners Jude Hilson (left) and Freya Kenny; left are silver medal winners Madison Watson (left) and Sarah MacDonald; right are bronze medallists Esther McCurrie (left) and Chelsea Slavin.
Winners: Centre are gold medal winners Jude Hilson (left) and Freya Kenny; left are silver medal winners Madison Watson (left) and Sarah MacDonald; right are bronze medallists Esther McCurrie (left) and Chelsea Slavin.

Lesmahagow High School was the venue for an event featuring tumble and acro contests for Lanark members and other club representatives, with a total of 158 gymnasts taking part.

Lanark Gymnastics Club director Clare Hilson was thrilled at the standard of competition over the two days and the fact that a four figure sum was made to boost Lanark’s bid to move from a YMCA building in Bloomgate that it has outgrown.

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Clare said: “The parents and helpers all pulled together with raffles, guess the bear’s birthday, tumble and tack shop/cafe and managed to bring in over £8,000.

“We need to raise a minimum of £25,000 to move, as the YMCA building is not big enough.

“Ideally we’d like to move somewhere still in Lanark but we are hoping for anywhere.

“We have looked as far away as Symington.

“It is really hard to find somewhere with a roof of a certain height and length. The sooner the better.”

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Lanark’s club competition weekend featured individual tumbling contests on the Saturday and team acro events on the Sunday.

Among numerous medals won by Lanark was the Federation of International Gymnastics (FIG) gold landed by Clare’s daughter Jude Hilson. It was the first time that any Lanark member had even competed at such a high level.

Elsewhere, young Lanark gymnast Madison Watson bagged herself a total of four medals over the weekend.

Among these were an acro Grade 5 silver with Sarah MacDonald and an acro Grade 3 bronze with Jude Hilson and Lara Gourley.

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Also in acro Grade 5, Jude and Freya took gold and bronze went to Esther McCurrie and Chelsea Slavin.

Lanark’s Ellie Halloran, Ellie McGuire and Ella Baillie teamed up to take acro Grade 2 bronze.

And Lanark tumbling success was achieved by Riley Lowe (NDP bronze), Neve Kemp (Club Grade 1 gold), Jamie Robertson (Club Grade 3 gold) and Eve Hamilton (Development B bronze).

“Lanark did really well,” Clare added. “The standard is getting better all the time.”

Lanark Gymnastics Club’s biggest event of the year will come in March when it again hosts Gymtastic, a display event at the auction market featuring around 30 clubs.

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