WAG Open Camp, AIS, December 9-12, 2015

Click here for the Open Camp highlights video.

The second Gymnastics Australia WAG Open Camp was held recently in Canberra at the Australian Institute of Sport. Attending the Open Camp were 43 gymnasts and 13 coaches from 10 clubs from around the country. 

    

The clinic was led by National Pathways Coordinator - Bree Bryant.  Assisting were experienced coaches:

  • WAG National Coach – Peggy Liddick
  • GA National Pathways Manger – Jo Richards
  • Artistic preparation specialist & WAIS coach - Stacey Umeh
  • Special guest Olympian, coach and mentor – Georgia Bonora

        

The Open Camp is a talent pathways initiative sponsored by the Spin to Win project, with the focus of the camp being a unique high performance training experience for gymnasts, with 17 hours of training over 6 sessions for WAG gymnast who are ALP level 7 and above. The Open Camp also shared information about exciting pathways initiatives including the Spin to win project and talent transfer and identification opportunities.

In between training sessions the girls utilized the hot and cold spa at the AIS recovery centre, learnt how to do self-massage, participated in athlete and coach workshops, enjoyed knowledgeable presentation from Peggy Liddick and dual Olympian Georgia Bonora.

        

During the camp all girls participated in the Physical Testing.  Congratulations to the following girls who excelled to be named the best physically prepared gymnasts for each group:

  • Level 8+: 1st Racheal Graham (Gold Coast Gymnastics), 2nd Teliah Farren-Price (Jets Gymsnastics), 3rd Bailee Hunsdale (Waverley Gymnastics Centre)
  • Level 7 – over 13:   1st Madeleine Mitra (MLC Gymnastics), 2nd Lily Stokie (MLC Gymnastics), 3rd Hannah Carter (Territory Gymnastics Academy)
  • Level 7 – under 13:   1st Tei Ito (Premier Gymnastics), 2nd Tiana Odessa (Premier Gymnastics), 3rd Felicity Heyward  (Premier Gymnastics)

The overall physical test champion was Racheal Graham from Gold Coast Gymnastics!

    

    

Well done to the following girls who excelled in the individual tests:

  • The longest handstand hold on beam was by Kiara Johnson (Waverley Gymnastics Centre) who held a handstand for 120 seconds
  • The flexibility test, including bridge, side splits, front splits right and left legs, was a tie with 2 girls scoring a perfect 25 out of 25 points: Tiasha Ursino (Canberra City Gymnastics Club) & Felicity Heyward (Premier Gymnastics)
  • Isabel Weir (Active Gymnastics) performed 38 push ups in 30 seconds
  • Madeleine Mitra (MLC Gymnastics) did the most cast to handstands in a row on the bars
  • Racheal Graham (Gold Coast Gymnastics), Mikaela Price (MLC Gymnastics) & Lily Stokie (MLC Gymnastics) all performed 22 leg lifts in 30 seconds
  • Jade Corney (Premier Gymnastics) climbed up the rope the fastest in 8.59 seconds
  • Bailee Hunsdale (Waverley Gymnastics Centre) completed 10 press to handstand on the beam with near-perfect form!
  • Camille O’Conor (Kingborough Gymsports), Isobel Neill (MLC Gymnastics) & Kanesha Lundt  (Wollongong City Gymnastics Club) all performed 38 V-snaps in 30 seconds
  • Tei Ito (Premier Gymnastics), Tiana Odessa (Premier Gymnastics) & Kahlyn Lawson (Waverley Gymnastics Centre) all performed 18 chin-ups in 30 seconds
  • The follow eight girls all performed 40 good quality calf raises on each leg: Hannah Sheridan (Wollongong City Gymnastics), Holly Newton (MLC Gymnastics), Madeleine Mitra (MLC Gymnastics), Thalia Rogerson (MLC Gymnastics), Mia Brown (Active Gymnastics), Isabel Weir (Active Gymnastics) , Tiana Odessa (Premier Gymnastics) & Ellie Higginbotham (Kingborough Gymsports)
  • Payton Williams (Wollongong City Gymnastics) & Tiana Odessa (Premier Gymnastics) jumped over 70cm longer than their standing height in the standing broad jump

 

About Spin to Win

Another objective of the Open Camp was to let the Australia Levels Program community know what the GA High Performance team and more specifically the Talent Pathways team are doing in the area of Talent Identification and Talent Transfer.

The Spin to Win project is focused these two major areas: Talent ID - identify talented young athletes at the initial stages of the development pathway and guide them towards quality programs & Talent Transfer - identify gymnasts who are leaving (or have recently left) the sport, and present the opportunities to them about other gymsports, as well as diving and aerial skiing.

Clubs are an important part of the process in identifying talent, as often they are the first to identify the talent. We want every gymnast to reach their full potential, therefore we hope that gymnastics clubs will contact Bree the National Pathways Coordinator if there is a gymnast at their gym who has potential for High Performance gymnastics or has potential for another sport, so Gymnastics Australia can help guide that gymnast reach their full potential.

Our goal with the Gymnastics Australia Spin to Win project is aiming for as many Gymnastics Australia member gymnasts as possible to have the opportunity to be assessed for high performance potential.

For further information please contact National Pathways Coordinator – Spin to Win: Bree Bryant ([email protected])