Year 10 student Alice has her sights set on an international career as a gymnast after being ranked number 1 in the Junior Squad for Great Britain.
She was awarded the title after competing in the Open Apparatus Championship and Group seeding event at Fenton Manor, Stoke. The competition, in which gymnasts compete for medals in four different apparatus, showcased the talents of both British gymnasts and other nationalities. Alice competed in all four disciplines, hoop, ball, clubs and ribbon, as part of the British Squad selection, performing technically demanding routines beautifully to win Gold medals in hoop and clubs, a silver in ball and coming second in ribbon.
In addition to the solo performances Alice took part in a group seeding event to secure a place at the British Championships in June. 22 groups took part and Alice’s group, who were representing Ribby Hall Rhythmic Gymnastics Club (RGC), came second to guarantee a place at the British Championships.
Like any achievement of this magnitude it requires an enormous amount of drive, dedication and resilience and Alice is no stranger to this, training for between 25 and 30 hours a week. As part of the British Squad she also attends a four day intensive training camp six times a year. Previously she has had the opportunity to train with the English Squad at Bath University and has attended training camps with former Olympians from Bulgaria in Aberdeen and Manchester.
Alice’s other achievements include a bronze medal at the 2017 British Championships and Silver and Bronze at the 2017 English Championships. Her aim is to take the British title in June and gain a place on both the English and British squads. She said, “I started training with Ribby Hall RGC at 5 years of age as a hobby, but over the years I have come to really enjoy the challenge of learning new technical elements and performing to the point where I can say this is what I want to do as a career. My dream is to compete in the Commonwealth Games and I’m aiming 2022 in Birmingham. I am really excited to have been selected for my first international competition representing Great Britain at the Portimao World Cup in Portugal in May. I am training hard and hope that this is the next step towards my Commonwealth goal”.
Headteacher Mr Waller said, “Alice is a shining example of what can be achieved with unwavering focus, commitment and hard work. As a school we are incredibly proud of all her achievements and wish her all the very best for her next competition in May.”
Alice Leaper 2018
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