Another successful year for the Rotary Disability Schools competition
Carl Field
Rotary Disability Schools competition 2022
Every year Welsh Gymnastics holds a Disability Schools competition, sponsored by the Rotary, which has gone from strength to strength.
It is usually held face-to-face in the shape of regional competitions and then finals in Cardiff and, before COVID-19 hit in 2020, looked well on course to beat the current record 1,200 entry.
For the past two years, the public health situation has meant WG has been unable arrange the competitions in the normal way and that was equitable to everyone.
But instead of cancelling the opportunity this annual competition gives young people, it was decided to move the competition online instead.
Last year’s competition was a huge success, but equally took some getting used to for all involved. The 2021 competition saw four schools and with 120 youngsters taking part.
For 2022 the format of the competition was changed slightly to give the young people involved more opportunity to gain medals, ribbons and trophies – and that led to an increase in numbers taking part.
This year eight school signed up, with over 250 young people taking part in their individual competition – and then an additional 150 of those young people took part in further competitions for the individual apparatus.
Young people and teachers alike worked extremely hard to perfect their routines, which ranged from a bench routine to a rhythmic ribbon routine.
All involved did a fabulous job and the judges were really impressed with the level of skill and dedication put in over the last couple of weeks.
Welsh Gymnastics are now looking forward to welcoming those schools and their pupils to one of our Disability Activity days, the first of which takes place next month in Cardiff.