TALENTED young gymnasts from Derby were given the opportunity to learn from the best when an Olympic medal winning Team GB gymnast came to the City.
Kristian Thomas was a key member of the men's gymnastics team that took bronze at the London 2012 Games. He visited Derby to provide a 'masterclass' for the most talented gymnasts from secondary schools across Derby.
Thirty five gymnasts aged between 11 and 16 years attended the masterclass at Derby Gymnastics Club, which was organised by Derby City School Sport Partnership and Lees Brook Community School.
Thomas talked about his career and inspirations, as well as outlining his gruelling training regime before the young gymnasts got the chance to show off their own skills. Gymnasts were taken through warm-up routines and put through a strength and conditioning session, before demonstrating their own expertise on the apparatus.
Thomas said: "Being able to work with these talented gymnasts is a great perk of being of a professional gymnast.
"Hopefully, with Team GB winning the medal last summer, we can inspire many more gymnasts to take up, continue with and succeed in the sport. There are clearly some talented gymnasts in Derby and it would be great to think today might help some towards competing in future Olympic Games.'
Sarah Harris, PE teacher at Lees Brook Community school, said: "Having Kristian here was a fantastic opportunity for some of our talented gymnasts to learn from the best. It gave them a chance to understand the demands of being a professional sportsperson, as well as hopefully inspiring them to train hard and develop."
Callum Hutchison, pupil at Murray Park Community School, said: "The Olympic Games last summer were so exciting, so to meet someone who won a medal was brilliant."
