News | Gymnastics News
downsmail.co.uk Gymnasts’ sights set on gold
WORLD-class athletes are nor- mally thought of as being among the richest andmost cared for peo- ple on the planet, but for Maid- stone’s world-beating gymnasts that is not the case. Courtney Tulloch (22) and James
Hall (22) are two of Britain’s best athletes, both competing in and medalling at the European and Commonwealth championships. But being world-class for a gym-
Anotherincursion at Larkfield park
TRAVELLERS have moved back onto a popular park in Larkfield for the second time in six months. The families - in five caravans -
nast is not the same as for other sports – they have to train through injuries year round and live on the most modest of wages for interna- tional superstars. DownsMail spoke to thepairdur-
ing a break from their punishing schedule at Tovil’s Pegasus Gym- nastics Club in FarleighHill. Courtney, a Pegasus member for
adecade, said: “I think it’s one of the hardest sports in the world. We don’t have off-seasons for gymnas- tics – it’s all year round, andwe’re in the gymnomatterwhat.“ Because the pair compete for
Great Britain they receive lottery funding, which means they don’t have to work part-time and can focus on gymnastics. ButCourtney explained: “If you’re
pulled on to Gighill Green in Lunsford Lane on Sunday October ,, releasing dogs on the popular public open space and setting up washing lines within hours. It is un- derstood the fami- lies in- volv ed have been offering tree felling services to residents in the area. Parish council chairman David Thornewell says more has to be done to stop the travelling com- munity running circles around the police and local councils. He says the job ofmoving on trav-
ellers for a second time will run into thousands of pounds The last inci- dent, in early summer, costing the parish council £1,200, with the trav-
ellers simply moving on to take up temporary residence elsewhere in the area. He said: “They just seem to be
Gymnast Courtney Tulloch is hoping hard work will pay off for his world championship and Olympic dreams
a footballer you can be scouted and go to top clubs and be paid ridicu- lous amounts, but in gymnastics you’ve got to earn it. “You’ve got to go to the European
championship and come awaywith medals, you’ve got to go to world
doing the rounds. These incidents have affectedWest Malling, forcing the closure of the village hall, and Leybourne, and now they are back in Larkfield. The police told resi- dents that this was a civil trespass when they reported it and that they couldn’t do anything and obviously the council offices were closed be- cause it was the weekend. These travellers know and play the sys- tem.” The council’s legal team served an eviction notice but it took aweek to enforce. Cllr Thornewell held talks with Laddingford Engineering in an effort to increase security further on the public land, near the M20. Valdemar Kalinin (pictured), of
the National Gypsy-Traveller-Roma Council said recently that local councils must provide designated traveller sites or “tolerated zone” which gypsy convoys can move onto. He said: “It comes down to racial prejudice against this com- munity.”
downsmail.co.uk
James,whose associationwith the
Tovil gym started at the age of six, went on: “It’s one of the hardest, if not the hardest, sports in theworld. It requiresday-to-day concentration. Everyone gets bad days, but those are thedays that youcanget injured, which couldkeepyouout for a year. “We are on lottery sport funding.
You have to win an Olympic or worldmedal to get higher funding, so to get there it takes years ofwork, and itmight not ever happen. It’s a difficult prospect. “The top level funding is £28,000
‘Spooktacular’ at the farm
championships and come away with medals – and even then you might notmake it.” Andwhilewinning a goldmedal
is themain target for these athletes, one injury could cost them every- thing.
MAKE the most of the October half-term holiday at Kent Life Heritage Farm Park’s Halloween Spooktacular in Maidstone. Brave kids are invited to the vintage village to knock on doors and
and I’mon the tier belowof £20,000. It’s good, but for something like get- ting your mortgage it’s really diffi- cult, I’ve tried and was told: ‘No steady income, you could get in- jured’, so that’s difficult in itself. “If you don’t meet a target or if
discover who – or what – is lurking behind them from October 21-31. The award-winning attraction at Sandling, near Maidstone, has a few
other tricks up its sleeve to turn its usual exhibits into frightening farmhouses and horrifying homes. Youngsters can try pumpkin carving, dressing up and the Ugly Bug Ball. On October 25, there will be more spooky goings-on with Kent Life
5-6pm and, for older visitors, from 7-8pm. If you would like to know more about any of the above, call 01622 763936.
youpickupan injury, youcouldpo- tentially have funding go down by £5,000-£6,000. “It’s reallydifficult to think about,
After Dark, This event includes a spine-chilling tour suitable for under-eights from
to get to the top, to be with those limitations.” But despite everything, the two
men remain committed to winning gold at theworld championships in October and, eventually, the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
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