Sport
Jets Gymnastics Shepparton crew is Geelong-bound for Junior Victorian Championships
Forget flipping out; the crew from Jets Gymnastics Shepparton is the right level of excited ahead of this weekend.
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A 12-strong troupe has booked its ticket to the Junior Victorian Gymnastics Championships at Geelong Arena on Saturday and Sunday, readying to gyrate its way to glory.
For some, it’s new territory. For others, it’s a familiar scene.
But for all of the local kids in the junior and senior squads, the time to shine is nigh.
“All these girls either came first as a team or first or second individually at the regionals a couple of weekends ago and done very well to secure a spot down at the state championships,” centre manager Giles Pritchard said.
“We’ve had quite a few girls go down in past years ― a lot of these girls went down last year.
“But this time last year we flooded over in Mooroopna, our facility was out of action for about two months as it was under water and we had to move locations from Mooroopna over into Shepparton.
“That was around the same time as the state champs, so some of the girls last year that qualified weren’t able to go because the roads were flooded and they couldn’t get down to Geelong.”
The complication caused by last October’s floods created mental gymnastics at Jets.
While having the original location swallowed up by water was heart-wrenching enough, the kicker ― or kick in the teeth ― was some of the girls missing the championships.
It just wasn’t fair.
The situation struck a chord with coach Priscilla Belair, who’d walked them through their preparation for months, even years, after arriving from France.
And just when the big stage appeared it was ripped away from them.
“That was a very tricky moment for them,” Belair said.
“Those girls did the job, did the full season, worked really hard and did six competitions during the season from June to October.
“When you don’t get the chance to go for it, you realise the other years you’ve been lucky.
“We also try to develop them personally and realising the opportunity they’ve got to be here, be involved in this sport, being able to be athletes and wake up every morning and play on this passion.
“It was very hard, but we made it this year, they realise how lucky they are.
“They’re going to do their best and we know about that. We are very excited on seeing the results of the performance.”
Of the kids from Jets Shepparton heading to the championships, all are aged between 11-17 and range from level 5-7 in gymnastics terms.
It’s part and parcel of a gymnast to be flexible, but this applies to more than just the physical aspect.
Pritchard said the dedication and output of the Jets girls ― some of whom aren’t even in high school ― is remarkable.
“These girls train between 12 and 16 hours a week for their gymnastics, so they’re super fit and super talented,” he said.
“It’s a great opportunity for the girls to go down and perform on a different stage.
“We’re a regional town, it’s a great opportunity for kids to go down and feel like they’re part of something that’s big and something that’s special.
“They’ve certainly earned their place, they’ve worked really hard to get here and they get to test themselves against gymnasts from all over Victoria.”
Many of the 12 heading to Geelong have been together at Jets for several years.
Some headed down last year, but will be joined by a larger group in 2023 after acing the regional qualifier in Albury a few weeks ago.
However, the grind doesn’t stop after this weekend.
Belair and assistant coach Chelsea Webb will prepare a select few from Jets to head to Hawaii in mid-January for Aloha Gymfest 2024.
It’s the chance of a lifetime, one which the chosen girls deserve after weathering the storm from years past both literally and figuratively.
“It’s amazing to see all those girls perform lately at the regional comp and to see them after the hard times that we did go through with the floods and coming back from COVID,” Belair said.
“Becoming the athletes we want them to be, it’s a very big achievement, so we are really proud of them.
“We are very proud of them and very impressed because of the travel that they do to get there. Because they are only kids and we need to remember that.”
Jets Gymnastics Shepparton Championship squad
Sienna Ciavarella, Ella Fitzgerald, Hailey Gell, Ailie Hawker, Rachael Jeffers, Jean-Marie Jonker, Maddi Nolan, Annabelle Novac, Payton Polido, Rachael Polvere, Sophie Pritchard and Summa Sidebottom.
Senior Sports Journalist