Pelagia Beekma in Year 8 will be featured on CBBC’s ‘Gym Stars’ next week, Tuesday 7th May. Do tune in and support Pelagia, we are extremely proud of her achievements in Rhythmic Gymnastics, a sport that also saw Year 13 Selina Brown and her team become British Champions last year.

Born in the Netherlands, Pelagia moved to Afghanistan with her mum, who was working with an INGO on a Humanitarian project. Pelagia then moved to the UK with her mum’s change of job when she was three years old and took up Gymnastics.

‘My mum thought that it was Artistic Gymnastics but it was in fact Rhythmic Gymnastics’ said Pelagia, now in Year 8 at the Royal High School Bath.

Previously attending Bathampton Primary, Pelagia sustained a neck injury during training aged just 5, which was a major set-back and led to time away recovering. She remembers this well and the determination needed to work her way back up through the squads again once she was fit and well to return to the sport. Pelagia’s club Team Bath Rhythmic Gymnastics (formerly City of Bath Rhythmic Gymnastics) has always been an incredibly well-run club under coach Sarah Moon. Gaining a British Passport in 2018 enabled Pelagia to join the squad, who are aiming for Gold in this summer’s British Championships.

With a clear focus and drive, Pelagia loves the competition that comes with Rhythmic Gymnastics. She loves the feeling of achievement after the hard work that she has to put in and it is clear from talking to Pelagia that this is a sport she takes very seriously, prioritises and it is certainly part of her!

Pelagia has qualified for a 2019 GLL sports award which will give financial support, access to physio facilities and gym facilities in centres across the UK. The award ceremony for this is on 16th May 2019 at Bath Sport and Leisure Centre.

We are all very excited that Pelagia is going to be featured on next week’s Gym Stars. If you’re able to watch please see the details below, it is also available on iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0004wjx/gym-stars-series-2-6-when-nerves-attack

Ep 6 – When Nerves Attack

Date on CBBC: Tuesday 7 May 2019, 5:30pm