Local gymnasts to compete at world champs
Seven gymnasts from Pinetown will compete at the Down Syndrome Gymnastics World Championships this weekend.
A Durban Gymnastics Club will have seven members competing in the Down Syndrome Gymnastics World Championships which will be hosted by South Africa this year.
The championships will be held in Centurion from September 23 to 24.
The first gymnast with Down syndrome to start in Pinetown was Charles Phillips, in 2000, at the age of 11.
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Phillips is now 34, and along with his friend, Peter Comrie, will be representing SA in the Senior Men’s Artistic category.
Five junior boys, from ages nine to 14 years, who will also compete in the Junior class are James Bateman, Zac Rees, Rhys Holding, Oliver Rogers and Viwe Mthembu.
“These boys started at Pinetown in November 2020 after one of their mothers saw Charles competing and rang to ask about starting a junior Down syndrome class.
“These classes have become the highlight of the boys’ week and are headed by our outstanding coach, Faricao Moses, assisted by Gerand Petersen, who both have a wonderful combination of energy, patience and enthusiasm for the young gymnasts,” said the club manager, Allan Chadwick.
The proud Chadwick said the boys have also benefited from support from a local NPO DownsideUp who have been subsidising their training fees and now paid their entry into these World Champs.
“We are very grateful to them and wish our boys all the best. Make SA proud,” he said.
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