A young gymnast from a leading Harrogate prep school has been crowned Yorkshire Champion – just months after suffering a major elbow fracture.
Robert Kidd, a pupil in Year 6 at Belmont Grosvenor School, beat off tough competition to become Yorkshire Gymnastics Champion Level 3 (Under 11s) at the Mens’ Artistic Yorkshire Championships held in Leeds last month.
The 10-year-old now goes on to represent Yorkshire at the National Finals in Birmingham at the beginning of November.
Robert, who trains 20 hours a week at Leeds Gymnastics Club alongside Olympic High Bar Bronze medallist Nile Wilson, competed over all six apparatus at the Yorkshire Championships. He scored impressively across all disciplines – and on the pommel Robert scored a perfect 10.
Proud mum Kerry, said:
Robert sustained a major injury earlier in the year and his achievement is a true testament to his hard work and determination to recover.
It is the third time Robert has competed in the Mens’ Artistic Yorkshire Championships.
In the first year Level 1 (Under 9s) Robert took gold, last year, in the Level 2 (Under 10s) competition, he took the silver award, and this year in Level 3 (Under 11s) Robert was back to winning form with gold.
Robert said:
I am really happy to have won, I really never thought I would because I had broken my arm earlier in the year. I tried my best and that paid off.
I was nervous starting my training again after the accident, but once you get back to it, and everything is ok, then you just carry on. I’m looking forward to Birmingham now.
Peter Baird, Head of Boys Games at Belmont Grosvenor School said he and all the children at school were proud of Robert’s achievements – and would be supporting him in the national final next month.
Peter Baird said:
Robert continues to astound us all with his drive and determination, especially when we consider the severity of his broken arm earlier on in 2017.
He has shown exemplary levels of resilience alongside the obvious abundance of skill that is involved in competing at that level and we will be watching him and willing him on at the national competition.
Pupils at Belmont Grosvenor School enjoy a wide range of sports including football, rugby, cricket, tennis, netball and hockey. The school is set in 20-acres of grounds and has its own swimming pool, gym and extensive sporting fields.
