COAST GIRLS A HOP, SKIP AND A JUMP AWAY FROM WORLD TITLE
THESE Gold Coast girls sure know how to jump rope.
The three will be skipping their way into the world championships in China this year to represent Australia.
Hot Shots skipping coach Taryn Hodgson said her group of 12 skippers have all blitzed the state and national championships and are on their way to Shanghai in July.
“Not many people realise how serious this sport is taken around the world and how talented some of these kids are,” she said.
“All up there is 75 young Australians who are going to China to represent Australia and they have been selected from clubs across Australia.”
But despite the large group Ms Hodgson, 34 who has been skipping since she was 10 assures that the sport is no easy feat.
“The girls at my club do four days a week of skipping including tricks and speed skipping,” she said.
“Many of them have been doing it since they were very young so they make it look easy.”
Ella Stawicki, Bethany Lakeman, Laura Downey and Iyla King are the four Gold Coast girls on their way to China to claim a medal.
“I’m really proud to be doing something I love and being able to represent Australia for it too,” she said.
“I own about six specially designed ropes. We have wire ropes for speed skipping and beaded ones for double Dutch so it takes a lot of practice and you cop a lot of whips on the legs.”