A young gymnast from Harrogate has been crowned Yorkshire champion in his first-ever major competition.
Eight-year-old Robert Kidd, a pupil at Belmont Grosvenor School in Harrogate, won the Men’s Artistic Yorkshire Championship Club Level 1 held at Leeds Gymnastics Club.
The Year 4 pupil beat off tough competition from gymnasts from across the Yorkshire region to take the trophy and scoop his first major award for gymnastics.
Robert, who started gymnastics when he was just four-years-old, trains for 15- hours per week at the Leeds Gymnastics Club in Seacroft, Leeds.
For the competition, part of gymnastics’ National Development Programme, Robert had to compete over the six apparatus – floor, pommel, still rings, vault, parallel bars and high bars.
Mum Kerry is very proud of Robert’s success – the youngster now goes on to represent Yorkshire in the national finals being held in Birmingham in November.
Mrs Kidd said:
He works really hard and deserves the success he achieved at this competition, which is his first major competition.
Robert has dreams of competing in the Olympics – he trains in the same gym as his two role models, gymnasts Ashley Watson and Nile Wilson.
Both are members of the Senior GB squad and are working towards competing at the World Championships in Glasgow in November and at the Rio Olympics in 2016.
Robert, whose ambition is to become a member of Team GB and compete at the Olympics said:
I feel very proud to have won – there were some good boys in the competition but I thought it was going smoothly for me.
I feel a bit nervous but excited about taking part in the nationals.
Chris Dight, Head of boys PE at Belmont Grosvenor said everyone at school was extremely proud of Robert’s achievements.
Mr Dight said:
All pupils at Belmont Grosvenor take part in gymnastics as part of their PE lessons and we hold an annual gymnastics competition in school each summer.
We will be watching Robert with interest and will be supporting him in lessons as much as possible in the run up to his next competition.
Belmont Grosvenor School, based at Swarcliffe Hall, Birstwith, is set in 20-acres of grounds just three miles from Harrogate.
Boys and girls at the school take part in a wide range of sports, including netball, tag rugby, football, swimming, pop lacrosse and hockey.
