Gym-tastic News!!! Beth Tweddle comes to St. Vincent's
'Simply the Beth'
In the build up to National Schools Sports Week we were delighted today to welcome a special visitor to St. Vincent’s . Olympic bronze medalist Beth Tweddle took time out of her busy schedule to speak to the children at St. Vincent’s about her journey as an award winning gymnast.
As Britain’s greatest ever-female gymnast, Beth’s impressive achievements include being an Olympic Bronze Medalist, a triple World Champion, a six-time European Champion, a Commonwealth Champion and seven-times consecutive National Champion. Beth has also competed at three Olympic Games; Athens 2004, Beijing 2008 and London 2012 - where she won Bronze in the Uneven Bars.
Beth’s journey began at the age of seven, when she was as young as our Year 2s. Her achievements place her in the ‘greatest of all time’ category within her sport. Her medals haul started at the 2002 Commonwealth Games where she collected Gold and two Silvers. Over the next decade she would go on to win over 20 more Gold medals, competing all over the World in major Championships.
In 2007, Beth graduated from Liverpool John Moores University with 2:1 in Sports Science and then went on to study Physiotherapy at the University of Liverpool, which she deferred to allow her to fully concentrate on training for the 2012 Games. In 2010, Beth was included in the Queen's New Years Honours List, and received an MBE for her success, commitment and dedication to gymnastics.
You may also have seen Beth in the 2013 series of ITV's Dancing on Ice, which she won with skating partner Daniel Whiston. She undertook this challenge whilst taking a break from competitive gymnastics.
Beth has since retired from competitive gymnastics but is very much involved as a director and ambassador of ‘Total Gymnastics’. Beth and fellow Olympian, Steve Parry, set up the company to provide the opportunity for as many children as possible to take up gymnastics, within schools, leisure centres and gymnastics clubs to help develop the sport around the country. We have been very fortunate to have benefitted from these gymnastic classes in school and hope to develop this area further in the future.
Beth led a presentation for the pupils in both the Infant and Junior departments and gave signed photographs to those children who correctly answered the questions to the quiz she had prepared.
Thank you Beth for inspiring us with your incredible journey – St. Vincent’s has a history of sporting success and who knows maybe budding Olympians and award winning sportsmen and women of the future!
For more information about Beth please click on the link below -
) @StVincentsPr
