A young gymnast who trains in Harrogate will represent Team GB in the final of an international competition tomorrow.

Emily Lock, 15, will compete in the under 16s female category of the double mini trampoline at the Scalabis Cup in Portugal.

One of a team of three, she hopes to see off competition from seven other teams across two stages in the final, having already won a team gold this week. She said:

“I’m a bit nervous but mostly excited about the final.

“In my first class, I landed on the side pad so it wasn’t my best, but the warm-up didn’t go great which wasn’t the best preparation and I went into the class not feeling confident.

“I’ve been watching the videos back so I know what I need to do to get it right tomorrow.”

It hasn’t been a smooth journey to the competition for Emily.

Earlier this year, she landed awkwardly in training at Harrogate Gymnastics Club and sprained her ankle, forcing her to take five weeks off.

She missed important competitions and was concerned she wouldn’t be ready to travel to Portugal, but with a lot of hard work and support from coach Amy Clemitson, she made it.

Emily Lock, left, with the Team GB squad

Chloe Carey, owner of Harrogate Gymnastics, said:

“Emily worked really hard and was determined to get there. It’s exciting when our gymnasts get chosen for competitions and we’re proud of them for the work they put in.

“They commit anything from three to five times a week after school and having to fit homework in around it too.

“These kids are brilliant – they put in the hours, they work hard and listen to all the feedback so they can improve.”

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Aspiring young gymnasts from the club do most of their training in Harrogate.

If they are selected for Team GB, they travel to Lilleshall National Sports Centre in Shropshire a few times a year to meet their teammates and work with the coaches.

For Emily, who attends Tadcaster Grammar School, training has to be balanced against revisions for her GCSEs, which she will complete next year.

“It gets hard in competition season because you have to train hard. I have to fit in revision because I’ve got tests coming up.

“But I really enjoy competing so I want to keep doing it.”

The final of Emily’s competition will be available to watch live on YouTube tomorrow from 3pm.

Harrogate Gymnastics is to start providing classes in Hampsthwaite next week for children aged four to 11.

The club has 500 recreational members and 200 competitive gymnasts at its Hornbeam Park location.

It had a waiting list to join pre-covid and social distancing measures have reduced the number of people able to attend, prompting owner Chloe Carey to look for a new site.

Classes will take place at Hampsthwaite Memorial Hall for beginner and intermediate gymnasts on Monday evenings.

Sessions will last for 45 minutes to an hour and will cater for up to 12 gymnasts.

Ms Carey, who lives in Hampsthwaite, said:

“We have a waiting list at the club, which has been made worse by the restrictions on numbers during the pandemic and wanted to be able to get the children who want to take part in gymnastics Into classes as quickly as possible, especially having had restrictions on organised sport for the best part of a year.

“With the roadworks in Harrogate it has become increasingly difficult for some of the surrounding villages to get over to Hornbeam so that has become a barrier to participation for some.”

Some equipment is new and some is being transferred from Hornbeam Park.

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