South Tyneside gymnasts' joy at bringing home gold for Great Britain

Chloe Heley, 15 and Ruby Oliver, 11, from South Shields, and Megan Neal, 13, from Sunderland have won gold at the Pan American Cup in Mexico this weekend.

The event which was held in the city of Monterrey from Friday, November 22 - Sunday, November 24 was Team GB’s inaugural appearance at the Pan Am Cup, and the first time the gymnasts have represented their country.

The girls, who all attend South Tyneside Gymnastics Club in South Shields, qualified for the finals in both Dynamic and Balance categories, coming away with the gold in Dynamic - with one of the highest scores of the competition – and a bronze medal in Balance.

“It’s a big win for us, being the first time Great Britain have competed at that cup and the first time the girls have represented Team GB as a partnership. To go out there and do what they did is a testament to the hard work that’s been put in,” commented coach Ian Said.

“Taking into account all the travel and jet lag, for them to do so well is fantastic.”

The trio was named as part of Team GB in the summer and received a generous donation from the Chloe and Liam Together Forever Trust to cover the costs of travel and expenses from the trip.

“We are so grateful to the Together Forever Trust, without their support the girls wouldn’t have had this opportunity,” Ian added.

Once the celebrations are over, the girls will be heading straight back to the gym to prepare for the Word Championship trials which begin in February.

“They can have a rest on Christmas Day, but it will be right back to training on Boxing Day,” added Ian.

“As with all our gymnasts the girls have a real commitment.

“When they go away and perform as they did that’s what it’s all about, it makes all the hard work worthwhile.”

Anyone interested in joining South Tyneside Gymnastics Club should contact Ian on [email protected]