By Aaron Cordy
A twirl, a hop and a march brought seven teams from as far as Melbourne and Mt Gambier, SA to the region, as the Greater Valley Calisthenics team hosted the first competition of the year on the first weekend of August, 2023 in Shepparton and Mooroopna. Ranging from Tinies to Master, competing in solo and team avents, it was the Subs Juniors who walked away with the prize.
Competing in Rods, Clubs, Free Arm, March, Aesthetics and a Song and Dance section, the girls aged between 8-10 from the region make up the SUB Junior team. Finishing with a 5th, a 3rd, two 2nd and two 1st, they were the overall comp winners in their age group.
The team was led by Natalie Witchen who has been coaching since 2004. “The Sub Juniors team consists of 10 girls who have worked incredibly hard over the first half of the year learning six routines,” she said.
“This time of year is extremely exciting because now the girls have multiple opportunities to perform on stage. Competing at the Greater Valley Calisthenics Competiton was very special to the team because they were able to perform in front of their families and a local audience, the girls competed against six other teams to take out the win.”
While the other local teams didn’t fare as well, there is opportunity to improve with the next meet in Echuca, Friday to Sunday, 8–10, 2023.
If anyone is interested in joining the fun of this great activity, the Greater Valley KickStart program runs on Tuesday nights, 4-6pm. Info@greatervalleycalisthenics.com.au
