In September I did something crazy. After a whole 20 years of being introduced to it, I finally joined a gymnastics group.
Let me take it back.
In September 2002 I started secondary school and did a half term’s worth of weekly gymnastics sessions. It was in the same facility that the likes of Beckie Downie, Ellie Downie, Sam Oldham happened to be training in – which also just so happened to be at my school. I loved it but with two competitions gymnasts in my form, I was already aware that 11 is probably too late to start gymnastics (if you want to take it seriously).
How about 31 then?
Earlier in the year I went to a handful of Cameo’s gymnastics sessions. Some were stay and play. There was a birthday party. And a pivotal one was a kids and parents session. It was that one where I got inspired. It’s all well and good shadowing my little one, but all I really want to do is actually learn to tumble, so I made the extra delayed decision to go to adult gymnastics sessions.
Now bear with me – it’s early days, but I’m actually make progress. After we moved house we decided we weren’t going to get a new trampoline just yet. Because of that I haven’t been able to practice my flips in a little while, but I’m getting there. I’ve discovered that the pommel horse is very much my flex too. Even though it’s far too hard and I’m miles away from being able to do anything notable, I’m shocked at just how much things are changing.
I wanted to do gymnastics because:
- I want to be more skilled than Cameo for at least one more year
- I want to be able to do wicked and wild things
- I want to be stronger
- I want to be more flexible
- I want to go to the gym less frequently, because it takes up so much time
- I want reassurance I’m not the only person that wants to do the same at this big age
- That backflip will happen
After two sessions I went to one of Cameo’s friends’ birthday parties. A 6-year-old there told me she was a gymnast. Stupidly I told her that I’m one too, but didn’t yet even have a clean handstand to demonstrate yet. Now she has high expectations of my skills and on every school run is quick to shout “Hey gymnast” at every chance she gets. And it’s a countdown before I actually have to show I have a gymnast-standard move ready for any tests that head my way.