Member Stories: From nervous newbie to Squad in 6 months! 

Every child has a different journey at Gymfinity Kids. Success has many different meanings in our clubs, and we celebrate all achievements, no matter how big or small. From mastering their first forward roll and nailing a handstand to being spotted for the gymnastics Squad team, all our members are brilliant in their unique ways. 

The one defining factor is dedication. When a child invests dedication to a sport, you can see the results pretty quickly and the effects can be astounding! We spoke with parent Lottie, whose daughter, Bella, went from cartwheels in the school playground to being asked to join the Bracknell squad… in just 6 months! 

Find out more about Bella’s gymnastics journey and how playground games have now transformed into a mission to get to the Olympics. 

Member Stories: From nervous newbie to Squad in 6 months! 

Hi Lottie – thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us. We’d love to find out more about Bella’s experience attending gymnastics in Bracknell’s Gymfinity Kids.  

Had Bella been keen on gymnastics before joining Gymfinity? 

Lottie: Bella had always loved doing cartwheels with her friends in the school playground, but she had yet to attend gymnastics classes. We went to a free Gymfinity Kids taster session back in October 2023, and she loved it so much that we signed her up straight away! 

How did Bella find her first class with Gymfinity Kids?  

She was very nervous about her first lesson. Bella is quite an anxious child and she didn’t have any friends to lean on for support. She got a little upset initially at the start of class, but Coach Bailee was so good with her, and Bella soon settled.  

She left her first gymnastics class, buzzing with excitement. She loved it from the very beginning and really took a liking to Coach Bailee. She adores Bailee… poor Bailee always gets smothered by Bella sitting on her and giving her hugs and playing with her hair. Once Bella likes someone, she’s very affectionate with them.  

She gets excited every week to go to gymnastics and I’m sure she loves it more and more each week. Bella loves learning new skills and routines, and because each week is different, it keeps her inspired and motivated in class. 

When she started at Gymfinity, she also made lots of friends very quickly, which was fantastic to see! When she was moved to the Bracknell Gymnastics Squad, she made even more friends and now we’re looking at meeting up outside of the gymnastics club as a squad so they can socialise outside of the club and reinforce that team spirit. They’ve even made each other friendship bracelets! 

Tell us about her progress and development over the months of attending gymnastics classes? 

Bella has made incredible progress – she’s only been doing it for 6 months! In her first two weeks, she got Star of the Week certificates and then got scouted for the Squad team straight away.  

I remember when Coach Bailee asked to speak to me. I was worried I’d done something wrong – haha! But she said Bella was talented and had been spotted to join the Squad. Bella was super chuffed. Since then, she has gained a huge array of skills. 

She could only do a cartwheel before joining Gymfinity but now she can do round-offs, front splits, side splits, box splits and lots of skills on the beam, bar and vault. She just competed in her first squad competition and took home three medals: a gold and two bronzes. She was super proud and so were we – it’s incredible progress over such a short amount of time. 

We can really see that she has gained a huge amount of confidence, not only in gymnastics but as a child too. 

How has she found joining the Squad team in Bracknell?  

The move from recreational gymnastics to Squad wasn’t too stressful for her. Her coach stayed the same, which eased the transition, and as she was still relatively new to the club, she was ready to continue making new friends. She was excited to be challenged and learn new things! 

The main obstacle was tiredness. But she’s now learnt that she needs to get a solid night’s sleep the night before her gymnastics days, so she has the energy throughout the 2-hour training session. 

Coach Bailee always challenges her but pushes her just the right amount. She was quite anxious about her first competition but after the first round, she had adjusted and enjoyed the experience. She’s very proud to tell everyone that she’s a gymnast and that she’s part of a squad! 

Tell us more about the competitions – how does she deal with her nerves?  

I think with the first competition she was more nervous because she didn’t know what to expect. Now that she’s had one, she looks forward to performing in more competitions going forward. She and all the girls had such a great time on the competition day, and she hasn’t stopped talking about it since!  

All the parents agreed that the competition was well arranged. It ran so smoothly, and the girls were looked after. 

Why does Bella love attending gymnastics at Gymfinity Kids? 

It has become a hobby that she’s exceptionally passionate about! She’s forever doing gymnastics around the house and is so happy that she attends a club where they have fantastic coaching, great equipment and where she can hone her techniques. 

She loves her coach and her friends in the Squad and is so proud that she can compete on behalf of her club. 

As a parent, how have you found Gymfinity Kids? 

I really love it and appreciate the team behind the club. Not only are the kids having a great time in class, but we’ve all really bonded as Squad parents. We are arranging a big bowling and Pizza Hut night for all the Squad girls – a community of new friends for both Bella and me has been born from attending the club! 

We’ve really enjoyed being a part of Gymfinity Kids. Thank you for all that you do for Bella! Hopefully, we have a future gymnastic Olympian on our hands – she’s got the drive and passion to make it happen someday. 

A huge thank you to Lottie for sharing Bella’s Gymfinity story.  

If you’d also like to share your child’s journey with us, please get in touch!

Fill in this form and a member of the team will get back to you. If your story is published, you’ll be gifted a free month of your Gymfinity membership as a thank-you.