Camden celebrates the borough’s best gymnasts of 2019
Camden Council is shining a light on the achievements of the borough’s most talented young gymnasts.
The Camden Sport and Physical Activity Gymnastics and Trampoline Service is home to the borough’s highest achievers and is the only centre in central London with a purpose-built gymnastics hall.
Based at the Talacre Community Sports Centre, this popular club has over 1000 children aged three to 16 participating each week in after school and weekend classes.
Afrinya Decardi-Nelson (10), who has trained with the club since she was three, is one is one of the top ten best gymnasts in the UK and was recently selected to be in the Great Britain Foundation squad.
Decardi-Nelson is Camden’s first female gymnast to be accepted into the national squad and is on route for the Olympic team, making her one of the borough’s most promising gymnasts.
Last year, Camden gymnasts Phoebe Fletcher (11), Stella Lee (11), Aaliyah Kalume (10) and Afrinya were selected for the London team to compete at the National gymnastic finals, with each winning a medal.
Jude Young (10) and Louis Ledlin (10), who both train at Talacre, were recently selected for the national training programme run by the national gymnastics governing body following success at a national level. They are also close to being accepted onto the Olympic training programme.
It’s fantastic to see so many of our young Camden residents working so hard and achieving so much - they should all be very proud. We also can’t forget how incredible our coaches are who work hard to harness the many talents of our young people and help them reach their potential. I’ll certainly be following their journey and I’m very excited to hear about their achievements in the future.
Camden trampolinists were also successful last year, with Jasmine Nkoso and Rowan Broda, both ten, reaching the national final in Birmingham and finishing eighth and 24th respectively.
In Camden, budding gymnasts can be trained by a team of British Gymnastics qualified coaches with opportunities for progression all the way up to the national level of training and competing.
For information and course bookings visit camdenactive.camden.gov.uk. Alternatively, you can phone: 020 7974 8754 or email: [email protected].