Gymnasts appeal to Sturgeon over return
Hamilton Gymnastics Club have asked First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to visit their gym and allow athletes to return during the pandemic.
The club have been conducting outdoor training sessions within the Scottish Government guidelines, but the gymnasts have not been allowed to enter their training unit.
The youngsters and coaches have now issued a plea online for Ms Sturgeon to visit the sports club.
Head coach Wendy Lucas is hopeful that they will catch the attention with their clip that showcases the space and care taken during the Covid-19 outbreak.
She reckons the club are ready to get back to work with the financial toll now starting to put pressure on the club.
Wendy said: “It’s not just about our club, it’s about every club in Scotland. We are all quite closely linked and are struggling together. There are a few clubs who won’t make it through this.
“We are all really good at following the rules and it’s so strict, but we are basically ready to go.
“We had thought we would be told we can re-open last week, and we were aiming to come back in the middle of August.
“Our rent is £9000. Thankfully we have some in reserve but we are just eating into our reserve now.
“We had always said if we re-open in August it will be okay; but now it’s August and we are still not open.
“Our kids are aiming for the Commonwealth Games and we get a two-hour outdoor training session per week. It’s not the same.
“It’s not about their level of gymnastics, it’s about their mental health. Some of our athletes are at the gym more than they are at home, and they’ve lost that.
“Our gym is massive, it’s a big open space. That’s what we want Nicola Sturgeon to see. All sport can get lumped in together, but we are all very different.
“We have less kids in our gym than the recommended Covid number and we would be cutting that again just to make sure.
“We have been supplied with so much stuff by Scottish Gymnastics to allow us to open safely; that was four weeks ago. We are on it, so it’s very frustrating.”