Flairs Gymnastics was privileged to have a team from British Gymnastics Disability Gymnastics work with their gymnasts at a workshop in Milnerton, at Lotus River Community Centre and at their venue in Plumstead. Flairs believes that gymnastics is for everyone regardless of their ability (taking the “dis” out of disabled) and welcomes children with any form of disability into their club.
Two star gymnasts with Down Syndrome were able to spend two training sessions with coaches and gymnasts from Great Britain working on new elements and learning the programs for the Special Olympics and Down Syndrome World Championships. Arna was one of the first gymnasts in the Flairs program and has been doing gymnastics for the last 4 years. Hazel Coates, Chairperson of Great Britain’s Disability Gymnastics Technical Committee, noted that Arna has immense talent to be nurtured and will go far on the international stage if a strict and disciplined training is followed.
Joshua has also been involved with Flairs over the last 3 years and has shown such amazing progress in both his physical and emotional development. He really worked well with Hazel and her team and enjoyed learning some Rhythmic Gymnastics as well.
Sarah, also one of the first gymnasts in Flairs attended the Schools workshop at Lotus Rivier and enjoyed some one on one training with Hazel in perfecting some elements in Artistic Gymnastics, as well as enjoying the Rope Skipping workshops and making lots of new friends.
The Flairs coaches really learnt a lot from the Team from Great Britain over the 4 days that they spent with them and it has renewed their passion and excitement for the program. Thanks must go to British Gymnastics for sending the team out to assist in developing Disability Gymnastics around the world.
BLOMVLEI SUMMER DISPLAY 2015
The Blomvlei Primary Summer Display was held at the school in Hanover Park on 12 November 2015. Thank you to Flexitrade once again for their never-failing commitment in assisting Blomvlei Primary with this project. The day was a success and the kids had so much fun, showing off their rope skipping skills and tricks to the Flexitrade staff.
TEMBALETU SPECIAL SCHOOL SUMMER DISPLAY 2015
Tembaletu’s Summer Display which took place on 10th November 2015 was a success, proving that having a disability is not a barrier for gymnastics. These disabled gymnasts are an inspiration to many, showing their enthusiasm, hard work, skill and dedication. We could not thank Murray & Roberts and Nuclear Packaging enough for providing these kids with the opportunity to achieve a goal others wouldn’t attempt to.
SADICKA VOTED AS CHAIR OF ROPE SKIPPING IN WESTERN CAPE
Sadicka was voted in as the Chairperson of Rope Skipping for Western Cape Gymnastics. Congratulations Sadicka and keep up the hard work in developing the sport in the Province.
TEMBALETU SPECIAL SCHOOL WINTER DISPLAY 2015
New coaches Masi and Terrence, together with the gymnasts at Tembaletu School outdid themselves at their Winter Display in June 2015. Every single person was a superstar, with outstanding performances and raw talent to showcase their newly taught skills and routines. Thank you, Murray & Roberts and Nuclear Packaging for this amazing experience.
BLOMVLEI WINTER DISPLAY – 2015
Blomvlei Primary School Winter Display and Apparatus Testing took place at the school in Hanover Park on May 25th 2015. The kids showed much enthusiasm, dedication and improved skills at the event. Thank you to sponsor Flexitrade for their generous contribution and assistance in the development and growth of rope skipping in Hanover Park. This sport’s awareness within the Hanover Park community would not have been possible without them.
FLAIRS 2015 WINTER DISPLAY & SPEED CHALLENGE
The Flairs Winter Display and Speed Challenge was held on May 23rd, 2015 at Bergvliet High School. The successful event included the Flairs superstar gymnasts showcasing their apparatus skills and later crowned the King and Queen of rope skipping speed. All gymnasts did exceptionally well and their improved skills impressed the spectators, allowing them to experience the fun, fitness and friendship with the Flairs family. Thank you to Frost Financial Managers and Super Sport Let’s Play for their generous contributions. The event would not have been a memorable and successful one without them.
OFFICIAL LAUNCH OF FLAIRS GYMNASTICS PROGRAM AT TEMBALETU SCHOOL
Tuesday 17 February 2015 saw the official launch of the Flairs Gymnastics Schools Program at Tembaletu School in Gugulethu. This was a very exciting day for the team from Flairs as it was the realisation of a dream to be carrying out their schools program at a school for children with disabilities. This would not have been possible without the support of corporates Nuclear Packaging and Murray & Roberts. Both these companies have partnered with Flairs to bring the program to the school, as well as provide equipment and training support for the teachers at the school, to ensure sustainability of the program.
Flairs has been operational at the school for 3 weeks before the launch and the quality of both the teachers involved and children is amazing. Two classes of learners showed off what they had learnt in the previous 3 weeks to a very receptive group of VIPs representing the school, the corporate partners, the South African Gymnastics Federation and the City of Cape Town. In attendance was also a team from British Gymnastics’ Disability Gymnastics, who then ran a workshop with the learners and educators from both Tembaletu School and Khayelitsha Special School after the official launch.
Hazel Coates, Chairperson of Great Britain Disability Gymnastics Technical Committee was amazed at the work that Flairs had done with the Tembaletu School learners in a short space of time, and is very confident that the school will produce excellent results in gymnastics in the future. Murray & Roberts was represented by Mr Gideon Mbobo who commented about how passionate everyone was about this project and that it was a privilege to be a part of it. He was proud to be able to hand over the equipment to school principle Mr Pather on behalf of the company.
Hazel and her team ran a 2 hour long workshop with both the learners and educators exposing them to all different forms of Gymnastics and from this everyone is looking forward to even more gymnastics training. It was a wonderful morning spent together celebrating how sport can make a difference to both learning and society and ensuring that everyone has ways to push their limits regardless of their ability.
TEAM GREAT BRITAIN WORK WITH FLAIRS GYMNASTS
Flairs Gymnastics was privileged to have a team from British Gymnastics Disability Gymnastics work with their gymnasts at a workshop in Milnerton, at Lotus River Community Centre and at their venue in Plumstead. Flairs believes that gymnastics is for everyone regardless of their ability (taking the “dis” out of disabled) and welcomes children with any form of disability into their club.
Two star gymnasts with Down Syndrome were able to spend two training sessions with coaches and gymnasts from Great Britain working on new elements and learning the programs for the Special Olympics and Down Syndrome World Championships. Arna was one of the first gymnasts in the Flairs program and has been doing gymnastics for the last 4 years. Hazel Coates, Chairperson of Great Britain’s Disability Gymnastics Technical Committee, noted that Arna has immense talent to be nurtured and will go far on the international stage if a strict and disciplined training is followed.
Joshua has also been involved with Flairs over the last 3 years and has shown such amazing progress in both his physical and emotional development. He really worked well with Hazel and her team and enjoyed learning some Rhythmic Gymnastics as well.
Sarah, also one of the first gymnasts in Flairs attended the Schools workshop at Lotus Rivier and enjoyed some one on one training with Hazel in perfecting some elements in Artistic Gymnastics, as well as enjoying the Rope Skipping workshops and making lots of new friends.
The Flairs coaches really learnt a lot from the Team from Great Britain over the 4 days that they spent with them and it has renewed their passion and excitement for the program. Thanks must go to British Gymnastics for sending the team out to assist in developing Disability Gymnastics around the world.
SAGF ELEMENTARY COURSE @ TEMBALETU
The first workshop for the Flairs project at Tembaletu school was held on Tuesday 20 January 2015. The school identified 6 people to attend the course to start the process of becoming coaches. Five educator and a bus driver for the school showed a keen interest in coaching. The new coaches were taken through the SAGF Elementary program of the dominant movement patterns, as well as learning to spot the skills. They practiced spotting on coach Terrence and special emphasis was given to how adaptions would need to be made with the learners at Tembaletu school because of their varying disabilities.
The participants thoroughly enjoyed the workshop and will now start accompanying the classes given to get some practical experience. This workshop will also be followed up with a workshop with Hazel Coates specifically on training children with disabilities, as well as the Schools Programs and a workshop on Display and Choreography work.
BEN, REECE & LISA COMPETE FOR TEAM WESTERN CAPE
Ben, Reece and Lisa, together with Coach Sadicka all travelled to Pretoria with the 1 000 other Team Western Cape members who competed at the National School Tournament from 10-15 December 2014.
This was a huge experience for the 3 gymnasts where multiple sporting codes compete together over a week long period for the pride of their Province.
Ben, Reece and Lisa did very well having to perform their routines 8 times during the week. This was a wonderful experience for the gymnasts, allowing them to experience other codes of sports, and make new friends along the way.