Sport
17 July, 2022
For the love of gymnastics
THE Kilcoy Gymnastics Club has welcomed Grace Kotzur and Kaitlyn Robson to the coaching team.
Grace and Kaitlyn are ready to make their mark in the Kilcoy and surrounding area, as more gymnastics programs become available in the region.
The club currently holds six lessons a week on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
The new parkour program, and a trampoline and tumbling program will be held on Thursdays at the Kilcoy Gymnastics Club, for school-aged children during school term.
“It’s a way of getting over equipment safely, but doing it in a way that’s fun, like Ninja Warrior combined with gymnastics,” Grace said of parkour.
Grace and Kaitlyn recently moved to Cedarton as they sought a lifestyle change, with Grace hailing from the Sunshine Coast while Kaitlyn had moved from her native England to the Sunshine Coast with her parents in early 2020.
A gymnastics coach since 2017, Grace has taught men’s and women’s gymnastics as well as parkour, trampoline and tumbling.
Grace has also competed as an artistic gymnast and with trampoline and tumbling, but she sustained a severe setback early this year when she tore her anterior cruciate ligament.
Regardless of her knee injury or situation as a competitive gymnast, Grace said she relished coaching youngsters.
“I love seeing that moment when children click with what you’re teaching them,” Grace said.
“I love my job, it’s so much fun,andattheendofthedayIgo home with a smile on my face.
“I love finding weird and wonderful ways to teach children.”
Herself a mother of two young children, Grace said with a smile that “we get paid to throw children around”.
Kaitlyn, who came from English city Hull, began participating as a gymnast at the age of four before volunteering asacoachattheageof11,and then being employed as a coach at the age of 16.
Team gym, trampoline and tumbling, and Gymnastics For All (GFA) have been the gym sport programs which Kaitlyn has coached.
Kaitlyn has competed in Team Gym and Women’s Artistic Gymnastics in England, and Double mini trampolining and tumbling in Australia.
Kaitlyn was set to take part in the European Championships one year, but unfortunately she had to withdraw after sustaining an injury in the lead-up.
“When anything’s gone wrong in my life, I’ve had gymnastics as a constant,” she said.
Like her friend and coaching colleague, Kaitlyn said she had “so much fun” when teaching youngsters.
“The moment they ‘get it’ keeps me going,” Kaitlyn said.
“It’s like getting an A on an assignment. “That’s how it feels.”
Grace and Kaitlyn said their teaching may include an outreach program to Toogoolawah in the near future, school holiday programs, adult fit for life lessons and that the club is planning to become a venue for birthday parties.
The new trampoline and tumbling program will be held at the Kilcoy Indoor Sport Centre from 3.30pm to 4.30pm, before the parkour program is from 4.30pm to 5.30pm on Thursdays during school term.
Any parents who are interested in their children attending the new classes on Thursdays in Kilcoy, or classes in Toogoolawah or holding a party, please contact the club via Facebook, or kilcoygymnastics@gmail.com, or 0427 946 771.
