Young gymnast makes Irish squad

THE sporting career of teenager Jane Taylor is moving forward in leaps and bounds after the young gymnast was selected for the Junior Irish National Gymnastics squad.
The 14-year-old is the first from the Ennis Gymnastic Club to qualify for the national team. Jane, who trains 16 hours a week, said, “I’m delighted to have made the team. Gymnastics is a great sport and I’ve been involved with it since I was eight. It all started when I was doing cartwheels around the house. As part of the national squad I will have to go to Dublin four or five times a year for training and I expect there will be some big competitions after that. Gymnastics is a great all-round sport and I’ve made some great friends through it.”
Jane, a student of Coláiste Muire, made the team following her performance at the National Team Championships. She is now set to compete in the Celtic Cup in Dublin, where Ennis Gymnastics Club member Rachel Tone will also compete in the hopes of making the national squad.
Jane’s mother, Sharon, recalled her daughter always had an ability for gymnastics. “She was always doing cartwheels wherever we were, even at matches. People were asking me was she in gymnastics so I thought it was maybe something she could do.
“I’m absolutely delighted for her to have done so well, she works very hard, going to gymnastics four times a week. She’s a very good footballer and she’s given that up to concentrate on her gymnastics. I have to say credit to her coaches Gillian and Clare at Ennis Gymnastics Club, who are just brilliant; they have given her lots of encouragement. When she went up to the trials they just told her to go out and do her best and just enjoy it and that’s just what she did. It was a great thrill to hear that she got on the team, to represent your country is just fantastic.”
When asked if she thought Jane would some day make it to the Olympic podium, Sharon told us, “When she started, she didn’t even think about the possibility of making the Irish team, so anything is possible with hard work and determination and Jane has loads of that.”
Gillian White, coach at Ennis Gymnastics Club, said they are all thrilled with Jane’s success and have high hopes for the future of gymnastics in the county.
“Jane comes from a really sporty family. Her sister, Kate, is also a member of the club and they both commit 110% to the sport. We are all over the moon at the club that she has made the squad and also that Rachel Tone will have the chance next week, after suffering an injury at the National Team Championships, to compete again.
“It’s a hard road but if they can get to the level we know they are capable of, we will be delighted. They have the opportunity to compete in international competitions and be members of the Irish team.”
She went on, “The future is very bright for gymnastics in Ennis; it’s a tough road though, as there is no Government funding for the sport. Ourselves in the club have made a huge investment in our new facility in Ballymaley, which is now one of the biggest facility of its kind in the Republic.”
Ennis Gymnastics Club was originally set up by Clare O’Sullivan 15 years ago in the Holy Family School. Since then, the club has grown in success and in facilities.
“Our new premises in Ballymaley has fantastic facilities. Before, to be able to get training at the level we can provide, you would have to go to Belfast but now you no longer have to do that. We have put in a number of training aids, including a pit, which is basically like a large swimming pool with foam in it. This is the kind of thing you would see in really advanced gyms and it makes things much safer when the gymnasts are trying out new moves.
“Recently, Irish gymnast Kieran Behan was on the Late Late Show and he was saying how he had no choice but to move to England to get training. Not having a pit would have had a lot to do with that, as it helps to avoid injuries that could prove detrimental.”
As well as making more advanced training available to the club’s members, the new facility also means more gymnastics competitions will be held in Ennis.
“We have everything here and we can now bring up the standards of where the competitions are being held. We are hosting two regional competitions in February and March. We are hoping to bring more people from all over the Munster region to Ennis to showcase what we have to offer,” said Gillian.