August 14, 2014

Day 4 at Lilleshall! Now it seems that it has flown by.  Late tonight I will leave for Dublin then Canada.  Before training began I got photos with the senior British Team training at Lilleshall this week and all their coaches, then with the elite squad (my squad).  Awesome memories.

Senior British Team Members

Dom Cunningham, Reiss Beckford, Ashely Watson, Frank Baines, James Hall and Courtney Tulloch, Kristian Thomas, Nile Wilson, Dan Keatings and Dan Purvis

Baz and the coaches talking to the Squad

Elite and Senior British Squads with coaches

 For warm up after running and stretching, we did back tuck from beatboard, land well, turn and do your corner work perfectly like you are in the World Championships.  Baz said at a big international, ‘beat them before it even starts. Terrify people. Make people stand and watch you.’  Each repetition was to be done as if in competition.  I practiced Japanese handstand corner, leap, turn, each bit as perfect as possible. Let the other teams warm up sloppy, we will terrify them.

Next, in lines we did the handstand hold, straight roll, pirouette, perfect handstand holds each time, trying to look like the most beautiful gymnast in the entire world.  Handstand, back extensions, full pirouette lines was next.  Even the littlest boys do this type of warm up working toward perfect form. The coaches help each line of boys to be technically perfect. Baz always motivates and reminds us why we are doing this: to be world champions, technically perfect beautiful gymnasts. Elbows, feet, knees, toes, body alignment are to be perfect.  “Great Britain Gymnast- Great Start!” (for every line in warm up)  Baz was happy with our work!

First event today for Ovi’s group (my group) was high bar.  We worked on the high pit bar.  

·       Warm up stalders and endos

·       Dislocates, dismounts

Next we moved quickly to floor tumbling. We did 6 ‘pieces’ (events)  in one longer training today.

·       Back layout 1 ½ punch front nice and high first time (Euin and I were working the same skill, everyone is working on their specific skill with connections

·       I made my first attempt at back handspring, back layout 1 ½, punch front ½ twist

·       I also made my first attempt at back handspring back layout 1 ½, punch front ½ !

Pommel was next.  We are just touching each piece. Everyone was cheering for Nile who did something super cool on p bars.

·       Stocklis on one handle pommel

·       Step up on one handle

Next event! Rings on the regular rings over the mats was our next event. I wanted to quickly do as much as possible before the next switch.  The seniors were doing routines on rings and pommel with Sir Ed and Andrei and the other senior coaches watching and marking.

·       Warmed up honma/johannosson

·       Worked on those most of the time

We moved quickly to vault in the main gym.

·       Half on to porta pit, ½ on, ½ off

·       Watching the seniors do vault routines and older elites do floor routines with everyone encouraging

Then we vaulted onto a mat:

·       Kasamatsu

·       Landed kasamatsu with full twist! ( new skill - first time from beatboard to mat)

Parallel Bars was our last piece. Once I did such a great vault, I headed there to prepare for the team. We took 2 sets of bars while the seniors performed their routines on the other sets.

·       Stutz practice

·       Diamidov practice

After parallel bars, we had some time to practice fast track tumbling in the pit gym.

·       I started with rows of 4 front layouts; it’s easy now to get them even

·       Front layout, front 1/1, front layout

After our flexibility stretches, we all lined up along the floor to watch the seniors going to Spain to compete, do their floor routines.  These are the guys: Dom Cunningham (we met at training at Birmingham), Reiss Beckford, Ashely Watson, Frank Baines, James Hall and Courtney Tulloch.  I already saw their p bars routines when I was working on stutz. So good. Floor routines were Phenomenal.

Now we had our final line up and talk from Baz. Ed and Baz gave me gifts to remember Lilleshall and my hard work and training here with the British Squad.  All the boys clapped for me. Thank you Lilleshall! Thank you England! Thank you everyone!

After lunch with the boys, we ran around the grounds and hung out in rooms til time for afternoon training at 3pm.  Other days we had nutrition lectures and other cool things.  We are always together, training, eating, learning from lecturers, playing bowling one evening, football each night. It is a team atmosphere morning to night.  Love it. Here are more photos I snapped, including at the Archery area where Paralympians were training!

Before training started at 3pm we had a fun game with a massive pink ball.  We all had a great time!

After this free time, I was able to join in a great game of volleyball then do flexibility until Sir Ed said it was time to go.  It was a blast! Great gymnasts, but more important, GREAT NEW FRIENDS!!

Time to fly :-(