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Olympian visits Orangeville Twisters gymnastics meet

December 7, 2023   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

The Orangeville Twisters Gymnastics & Trampoline Club had a special guest at their qualifier and invitational gymnastics meet on Saturday, Dec. 2.

Two-time Olympian and Commonwealth Games champion pole vaulter Alysha Newman attended the meet and presented the medals when the competition was completed. Ranked 8th in the world, Alysha is preparing for the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

“Today we are hosting a women’s artistic qualifying and invitational gymnastics competition,” explained Twisters coach Cheryl Kempers. “The qualifying portion will be to qualify to go to the provincial championships. The invitational part of the meet is just a fun meet. The athletes compete in four events, vault, bars, beam, and floor, and they get an overall score. We have 18 clubs from across the province competing here today.”

Having an athlete of Alysha’s calibre at the event made it a special day for the young gymnasts.

Alysha is a former gymnast who transitioned into other sports. Her background in gymnastics made her a natural to try other sports that require mental focus and physical ability.

She started in pole vault while a student at the University of Miami. She broke the school’s pole vault record while there, clearing 15’1”.

Alysha is a two-time Olympian and will be going to the Paris Olympics in 2024.

She competed in the Canadian Track and Field Championships eight times and finished first in pole vault six times.

Originally from London, Ont., Alysha is now a Caledon resident and does fitness training at the Twisters facility in Orangeville.

The Twisters Club and the athletes at the meet were thrilled to have an internationally recognized athlete and Olympian be a part of their event.

The Twisters are now in their 37th year of providing gymnastics training to young athletes.

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