Festival of gymnastics

A competition that has been running for more than 50 years aims to give school kids a taste of gymnastics.

Hundreds of students filtered through Gymnastics Nelson during the last two Fridays, split into Levels 1 and 2 for short competitions with their peers.

Schools are provided with two routines for students to learn prior to the event and they are also tasked with entry-level stunts on the bars and spring board.

Originally started by P.E advisor Rex Cosgrove, while he was at Waimea Intermediate, the first years of the competition were run outdoors as there was no indoor venure for the some 600-odd students who participated.

The event later moved to Nelson Intermediate with the teacher who was running it at the time, Howard Hill. It moved indoors in 2004, when Howard retired.

Gymnastics Nelson’s Women Artistic Gymnastics head coach, Karyn Brown, remembers participating as a child and is now involved in judging and running the competition.

“It’s basically a fun day where they can experience gym and the equipment because, for a lot of kids, they don’t do gymnastics.”

She says it’s always great to see good participation from boys in what is often seen as a more female-oriented sport.

“Kids might not be into football or into rugby or netball, but they still want to be active. So this is awesome, because it covers all of those fundamental skills which will eventually translate to any sport that they do pick up.”