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Jamie and Adele show
real gymnastic prowess
Jamie and Adele Bevan are a brother and sister from Clarbeston Road who really enjoy competing in gymnastics with the Pembrokeshire Disability Gymnastics Club and have already gained selection for the next Special Olympiad, which is to be held in Leicester at the end of July.
Jamie is 13 and Adele 10 so whilst big brother has already taken part at the previous Olympiad this will be Adele’s first time at such a big event and both are working very hard in training as they look forward to it with great anticipation.
The Bevans were very much in evidence at the Welsh Championships held at Cardiff Bay in November, with Adele gaining three gold medals in the floor exercises, beam and parallel bars whilst Jamie can also be proud of his two silver medals in a very competitive group. Both also did well in a competition in Poole, Dorset, where they also took part in the trampolining and picked up a medal apiece.
The Pembrokeshire Special Needs Gymnastics Club that they attend provides a whole range of activities and stimuli for youngsters and Jamie proved what a very good gymnast he is at the Special Olympiad in Glasgow and came away with two golds, one silver and two bronze medals as reward for his efforts.
Olympiad experience for Jamie
Jamie was one of ten children from Pembrokeshire who flew up with the Welsh team and coaches in Glasgow, stayed in their own accommodation and took part in the most wonderful opening ceremony at Celtic Park, the home of Celtic AFC that saw the Welsh team looked resplendent in their new kit.
His first success in the Kelvin Hall, where the gymnastics took place, was the silver medal in the vault and then went even better as he scooped the gold in both floor and overall to bring further tears to a few in the large crowd.
Adele’s on the way to the top
Although Adele was too young to compete she travelled up with her parents, who are well-known Clarbeston Road footballer Huw Bevan and his wife Yvette, who travel with them to the gym club, held weekly in Thornton, Milford Haven, and support the duo at all their competitions. They have older brothers in Tom and Richard who are good footballers with Clarbie whilst Jamie and Adele are also keen football fans as they train regularly with the Cleddau Warriors football team..
Favourite apparatus
Ask Jamie about his favourite of the gymnastic disciplines and he would say, “The floor exercises are the best because I can do lots of things in my routine. I love stretch jumps and hand stands but am working on head stands. I like it in school that we have gym lessons because I really enjoy them. I can also stretch my leg over my head because I am supple.”
And he can too!
It is a trick that Adele can match but unlike her brother isn’t so fussed on the floor exercises, despite the fact that she is good at cartwheels and handstands. She competed at the Welsh finals for her age group and won the beam competition to confirm her potential.
“I love the beam best” she says, “It’s very narrow but I can balance on it – and am already learning back walks. I’ve fallen off a few times but I just get back on and keep trying. I want to try the bars when the club can get some.”
For the uninitiated, the boys compete in the vault, high bar, rings, pommel horse and floor exercises, whilst the girls take part in the asometric bars, beam, vault and floor exercises, so a high degree of skill matched by a willingness to work on all the different disciplines.
Coach’s high praise
Jean Jones is full of praise for the efforts of her two young charges because they have developed so well.
“At first they lacked confidence but gradually they have settled and are now very promising gymnasts who work hard and are ready to listen to the coaches about how to do things. We are very proud of all that they have achieved already and they can get even better because they are so keen.”
Parental joy
Jamie and Adele’s dad Huw said, “Glasgow was the best moment of my sporting life and I will never forget it.”
Perhaps it is appropriate that we leave the last word to mother because Yvette is firmly of the opinion that the club works wonders.
“We are so grateful for the work done by Jean and Co because they raise self-confidence whilst making all the activities good fun. Jamie and Adele love going to the club and so do we. I will never forget the trip to Scotland and we all can’t wait for Leicester to come now.”
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