OLYMPIC gold gymnast Max Whitlock is set to open his first Colchester gymnastics school on Saturday and hopes it will be the springboard to inspire a generation of young athletes.
Max, 25, who is Britain’s most successful gymnast in history, will open the Max Whitlock Gymnastics club as he cuts the ribbon for Essex University’s new sports arena joined by the university’s Chancellor Commons Speaker John Bercow.
It has been three years in the making with Max’s wife and gym coach Leah Hickton and is his way of getting more youngsters into the sport which made his dreams come true.
Max, who has five Olympic and six world championship medals, said: “Waiting lists all over the country can be longer than a year. At the gymnastics club I train at it has a two-and-a-half-year waiting list.
“Lots of kids will turn around and do something else and then we’ve lost them which is a huge shame, especially because I know how good the sport is.
"It's opened so many doors for me and can do the same for everyone.
"I also think gymnastics is one of the best starting sports for kids because it helps with many aspects of life.
"It teaches so much discipline and determination, but also so much about your body as well."
READ MORE: TEN MINUTES WITH MAX WHITLOCK
Max’s mission is to get as many children involved in gymnastics as possible but he will limit class sizes for a more personal experience.
He said: "The numbers part of it is where we're very different, but it means the children can really bounce off each other and get as much attention from their coach.
“Leah and I have worked on this programme for a long time and we truly believe we have the best foundation gymnastics programme out there.”
Leah Hickton married childhood sweetheart Max in 2017
The end goal is to open Max Whitlock Gymnastics clubs across the country but the pair's choice of location will be determined by the quality of the venue.
Essex University's sports hall boasts world-class facilities which the double Olympic, World, Commonwealth and European champion is excited to move into.
As interest in gymnastics grows, inspired by athletes like Max’s success, the future looks bright for budding athletes.
In Max's words: "Success breeds success."
He said: “The potential is really big and I’m proud of what we’ve helped build.
"We just can’t wait to get going.”
The launch will be between 10am and 4pm at the Wivenhoe campus in Colchester with the ribbon being cut at noon.
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