CHAMPION gymnast Ted Havers will be representing the North West in a national final at the end of October.
It will be the third year in succession that the Year 7 Haslingden High School student has earned a place on the North West squad.
Ted, 11, from Edenfield, said: “When I was younger, I wanted to know how to do a cartwheel and my mum got me into gymnastics; I was only three.”
Although he had a break for a couple of years, Ted is still at Bury Gymnastics Club where he trains five times a week, or six when there is a competition coming up.
At the North West Gymnastics Association Men’s Artistic Club and Elite Grades Section Trial and Voluntary Cup at Robin Park Arena, Wigan, Ted won the silver medal overall after the scores for the different disciplines were totalled.
He was first in parallel bars and with his floor routine.
Ted said: “I started on the parallel bars, that is my favourite, and then I went on high bar, floor, vault, the parallel rings and PPP – physical preparation and programme that shows your strength and flexibility.
“My coach at Bury is a Master coach and he is really good. I have progressed very, very fast and I expected to do as well as I did in Wigan. When I do the four-hour training sessions on a Saturday and a Sunday my mum makes me a packed lunch.
“The Parallel bars is the best for me because I have good upper body strength and I like tricky manoeuvres.”
He will now represent the North West team at the Men’s Artistic National Elite and Club Development Grades at Telford International Centre from October 27-29.
Ted said he was also attending a training camp for the GB Squad next March.
He added: “I would like to represent my country.”