The World Gymnaestrada – July 2003 – Lisbon, Portugal

The World Gymnaestrada is held every four years and this year, 2003, three of the gymnasts from Kestrel Gymnastics Group joined their coach to take part in the Great Britain Mass Display Team of 2003.

This was the first British Large Area Display for a long time, comprising 250 participants from all over Great Britain.   Four people from Edinburgh and one from Glasgow were included in this display which comprised people of all ages and abilities.   Rehearsals were held in London and Leeds on a regular basis and the girls and their coach traveled to them all.  This was a display that had something for everyone in it from tumbling, acrobatics, dancing and various patterns covering a large area in an outdoor field.

This event is an experience of a lifetime and everyone should go at least once in their life.   Gymnasts from all over the world, over 50 countries with gymnasts aged from 8 – 80 mingling and working together in complete harmony.   25,0000 participants looked after by the host country which in 2007 will be in Austria.        A Festival of Fun and Friendship.

Everyone is involved in the opening ceremony and Britain were asked to perform another mass display in the closing ceremony which was no mean feat to organize.  We were also involved in performing at the English Speaking Evening so our week contained plenty of rehearsal times.

As well as learning the mass routines, the three girls from Kestrel put together two 3 minute routines which they performed to an amazing audience in the centre of the most incredible shopping centre.   Three stories high with all the balconies and the ground floor filled with enthusiastic spectators – what an experience!   Apart from the Olympics and Commonwealth Games I do not think many competing gymnasts will ever have performed to such an audience.

The girls are here tonight to show you what they did in Lisbon for their personal performance slot.   We are sorry we cannot bring the 250 people here to show you the mass display routine.  They were called Haggis, Neeps and Tatties and the coach was the “Wee Dram”.

If there is anyone interested in joining an Edinburgh Mass Display for Austria in 2007 speak to Vivien Gourlay.   We need to look into organising this now.

This is  GENERAL GYMNASTICS at its best - gymnastics for all in the true sense of the word – Gymnastics.