Dolphin gymnasts training for higher level of skills

Athletes attached to the Dolphin Gymnastics Academy are currently in training for a higher level of competition.

Assistant coach at Dolphin Kerry Williams told SEARCHLIGHT on Wednesday that the girls are currently preparing “to go to the next level”, having recently been rated second best in the region, from a group of about seven countries.

“They are really training for a higher level of skill and we are preparing the girls for a higher level of competition and solidifying the fundamentals of the sport.”

He said the girls are progressing well, and this is commendable, as the sport is new to St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) and also considering the limited equipment and space available for training.

Training takes place at Davy’s Pasta in Glen and the 75 or so children (age group 2 to 14) have as their head coach his wife LaPrise Williams, an elite level gymnastics coach.

Explaining how he and his wife managed to start a gymnastics academy in SVG, Williams said he came here to attend medical college in August 2015, and his wife started teaching gymnastics to a friend’s daughter and “it just took off, as one student turned into eight, then to 15, then to 20 and the rest is history.”

He said over the Valentine’s weekend, a group of nine students took part in a competition in Orlando, Florida and they did well, seeing that it was their first competition for the year.

“They were up against many kids who started in their competition season early and would already have taken part in about nine other competitions for the year; so they did good compared to that,” said Williams.

Competing in Orlando were: level four student Abigail DeShong; level three students Myracle Doyle, Ariel Fraser and Chiamaka Jackson; level two students Leanna Bailey and Trinity Browne; and level one students Sia Glass, Samaraa Haynes and Summer DeFreitas.

Persons interested in joining Dolphin Gymnastics can call 491-4645 or 455-4073 or download the Dolphin Gymnastics’ mobile application or visit their Facebook page, Dolphin Gymnastics and Health Academy.