Personality Profile
who have never forgotten home They were born on the same day - October 6, 1995 - but a world apart. Today, James Hall and
World beaters
Courtney Tulloch are taking gymnastics by storm and putting Maidstone on the map. They took time out from their heavy schedule, however, to chat with Mid Kent Living’s Doug Kempster…
I
t’s the stuff of dreams. Touring the world. Excelling at the sport you love. Winning medals and international recognition. Representing your country. But when the punishing demands of top-flight gymnastics allow James
Hall a break, he has only one thing on his mind - unwinding at home in Maidstone… in his living room… with a cuppa.
His dreams are our everyday. And if he’s not relaxing, he’s doing DIY. “I spend so much time on the road,” he says. “I’ve been everywhere this
year - across the world - so instead of going on holiday when I get back, I like to be at home. I like to get back to something that’s familiar. “Te reality of international competition for me is largely a combination
of hotels and the gym. You can’t really go out and about because you’ve got to rest. You go to training for two hours then go back and sit in your room all day - and that’s difficult in itself, especially when you’re out there for such a long time. “I moved into my house in central Maidstone in June and I’m doing it up
at the moment - a lot of painting, a lot of fixing. It’s not necessarily resting, but it takes my mind away from the gym and helps me wind down a litle because the gym can be all-consuming.”
James has been crossing the world since he was a baby. His family lived
in Australia for nine years aſter following his uncle Chris there in pursuit of a beter quality of life. But when his grandfather, Edward, was taken ill in England, they upped sticks and headed back with 18-month-old James in tow. Aſter six months, they setled in Maidstone. Tey’ve been here ever since. His mum and dad, Ann and Tony, still live in Teston. With his older brother, Michael, doing karate and sister, Rachel,
trampolining, young James wanted to carve out a hobby of his own. And, at six, he set foot in the Oakwood complex of Westborough Sports Centre to start gymnastics. It was the dawn of a champion’s career. “Initially, I did around an hour a week,” he says. “But I outgrew them a bit
and they suggested I join Pegasus, back when it was at Crismill Lane. I’m still with Pegasus today. “I went straight into the squad which was training three days a week for
about two hours, and then it quickly went to four days, then to five, then to six. I’ve been doing six days for 12 years now. “I was at Wateringbury Primary at the time. I’d start training at 7am for two
hours and then went to school aſter that. Tat was weird in itself – I’d turn up when class had already started and all my mates thought it was great that I
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