Mrs Doyle Claims Silver in the British (Veteran) Gym Championships 2011
On 1st October the nation’s finest veteran gymnasts (veteran being the cruel description of 30-40 years old in the sport) gathered in Leicester to compete.
Taking part was Daneshill’s very own Lucy Doyle, who only 3 weeks previously had been walking on crouches having torn her ankle ligaments during training. The programme involved a vault, the bars, the beam, the trampoline and a floor display. The competition was fierce and each gymnast was under the close scrutiny of Trevor Low; a well renowned figure in the sport.
After a gruelling afternoon the results were in and Mrs Doyle – to great acclaim – was announced as the silver medal winner. This is a truly amazing result for her especially given her injury leading up to the competition. We are very proud of her as I’m sure the majority of parents are.
Following her busy media schedule since the event we were able to get some time with her and she had the following to say:
"In January 2011 I set myself a challenge to be British Veteran Champion 2011, and since then have worked incredibly hard to achieve this goal. Through weekly training with my team I managed to perform skills that I used to demonstrate when I was a national gymnast. It has been a challenging, rewarding but at the same time terrifying journey!
Sadly for me four weeks ago I damaged the ligaments in my foot and have been on a very different journey to recover enough to be able participate in the event.
I managed to perform my routines, albeit at a slightly lower skill level, and be a part of the event. I was extremely pleased to be awarded Runner-up National Champion 201, 30-40yrs category. Next year with two fully working feet, I hope to take that title!
I couldn’t have done it without the support of my family and would also like to thank all the parents for their kind words of support, encouragement and congratulations’.