Gymnasts return to centre after Storm Babet damage

Gymnasts and staff are so pleased to see the foam pits in action

A group of Nottinghamshire gymnasts are able to return to training as normal after Storm Babet caused £70,000 of damage to their academy.

The Notts Gymnastics Academy in Rushcliffe was devastated when the storm ruined its foam pits last October.

The pits help gymnasts fall safely when dismounting from equipment, reducing their chances of injury.

Six months on, fundraising and support from parents has helped to restore them.

Around £70,000 has been spent on the new pits

About 8,500 pieces of specialist foam were damaged, forcing some gymnasts to temporarily relocate.

It was previously thought the repairs would cost £50,000, but the academy, located at the Rushcliffe Leisure Centre in West Bridgford, said the bill totalled £70,000.

Alexander Yolshin-Kash, 18, competes in the British National Squad and had to train at other gyms while the pits were out of action.

He said the impact of the damage was "devastating."

"It took a hit to our training for the British Championships but finally, we can now get back to normal."

Hamish Carter has been training at the Academy since the age of three and had competed in the Commonwealth Games in 2018.

The 25-year-old said: "I started my journey here. Seeing the gym go through such a difficult time was heart-breaking, so it fills me with happiness to see it running again."

Helen Suman said the storm left the pits full of dirty water

Helen Sunman, who brings her two daughters to the academy every week, was among the parents who helped the gym in the aftermath of the storm.

She said: "The pits were full of dirty rainwater when we arrived, and the pieces of foam were so heavy, you could only lift about one at a time."

Her family did a sponsored 'tumble' to raise funds to repair the pits.

In total, fundraising by parents and the local community helped to raise £7,000. The remainder of the repair funds came through insurance.

She added: "I wanted to help because this place means so much to me and my children.

"The community effort shows how much we care about sports in Nottingham."

The gym's project manager Kirstie Dane said "The gymnasts and parents have been so understanding at such a difficult time.

We thank everyone for their support, and are so pleased to have the pits back in action."

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