Bloxwich Gymnastics Club hit form to floor their rivals

The club returned home from Fenton Manor in Stoke, where over 1,000 youngsters competed, with a hat-trick of gold medals and a silver after a brilliant series of displays on the vault and floor exercises.

A total of 26 Bloxwich members competed in the Potteries with Abbey Hargreaves striking gold in the under-13 individual event while the club's under-13 and under-11 beginners also stood on top of the podium. Freya Jackson rounded off a brilliant day by picking up a silver in the under-11 category.

Coach Elaine Mills, who runs the club with the help of her daughter, Sara, and grandaughter, Lucia, was full of praise for the youngsters but had to admit the success came as a something of a shock.

"It was quite a shock actually," said Mills, who has been coaching for over 30 years. "We were hoping to win a couple but didn't expect them to be gold.

"The kids work really hard, and my daughter and granddaughter have trained them hard in their specific moves.

"The did present themselves really well on the day and worked really hard.

"We were there from 7.30 in the morning to 8.30 at night. It was a very long day and instead of them doing one age group at a time they mixed the age groups around.

"So you had to wait for the organisers to announce who was in the running to finish in the first three. But they didn't give you the order.

"So we knew we were in the running but when they announced the golds at the end it was a pleasant shock."

The medal haul added to the feelgood factor at the club, where membership is rising and with demand leading to an increase in classes.

And Mills is keen to stress that enjoyment is the main objective at the family-run club.

"I have been coaching nearly 40 years and I am helped by my daughter and grandaughter," said Mills, who also carried the Olympic torch during the build up to the 2012 Games in London.

"We are a recreational club, which means anyone can come along and have a go. They don't have to pass any sort of qualifying agenda. The main thing is enjoyment.

"For the West Midlands Championships any child who wanted to enter could.

"We didn't choose or select. Then we put the ones that wanted to enter into teams in terms of their ability and we happened to have some good teams. They all worked really well."

The club has found some much-needed stability after a series of name changes and moves and are based at the Ryecroft Community Hub in Walsall.

"Originally we were Cannock Gym Club, then we were Moat Hall and now we are Bloxwich Gym Club, which has been in existence probably four years," continued Mills. "This particular success in the first one we have had as Bloxwich. We did used to win a few things years and years ago.

"We have had a lot of disturbance with trying to get places that would store our equipment.

"We had to go from one place to the other and then we went to Bloxwich Leisure Centre and that was pulled down, so we had to find another place which was Ryecroft. A lot of schools are not community schools so they don't want to open at night or store your equipment."

And with a waiting list, Mills and Co will be introducing extra sessions.

"The classes are on Wednesdays at the moment but that will be expanding to Tuesdays as well after Easter because we have got a waiting list," added Mills.

"We cater for children from five up to 18.

"The club is thriving, the membership has increased year on year.

"It's mainly been through word of mouth but hopefully out recent success will encourage more youngsters to join.

Anyone wishing to join the club should call Elaine Mills on 07971 378425.