STELLARTON – The Pictou County Gymnastics Club has a permanent home.
After shuffling equipment and locations in temporary locations such as Trenton Elementary School and the Pictou County YMCA, the club recently moved into the former Linmac building behind Tim Horton’s in Stellarton.
“This is a great location for us,” said owner and instructor Wendy Cruickshank. “The interest in gymnastics has really grown over the years and I think the success in the Canada Games has helped with that.”
About 45 people recently registered with the club this past week and it already has 140 regular members.
Cruickshank first started gymnastics when she was eight years old and after watching her daughter grow up in the sport, she started instructing it herself with the Cobequid Spartans Gymnastics Centre in Truro about six years ago.
It was there she earned her full level 2 artistic gymnastic and level 1 trampoline certificates.
Cruickshank said she never thought she would be able to make a full time career out of the sport she has loved since childhood, so opening the Pictou County Gymnastics Club is a dream come true.
“It is such a great sport because it teaches body awareness and muscle growth which helps in all avenues,” she said. “Gymnastics works every muscle in the body.”
She added gymnastics is also good for children with autism because not only is there order to the skills learned, it also stimulates the body. She said if enough parents of children with autism were interested, she might be able to provide a class dedicated to them.
Children as young as 18 months and as old as 21 years can take gymnastics at the club. Classes include Kindergym, pre-school, school age, teen gym. There are both recreational and competitive levels available.
In addition to these regularly scheduled classes, the club will also be offering six-week summer day camps that will include an hour of gymnastics, outdoor activities as well as crafts and games.
For more information on the Pictou County Gymnastics Club, call 695-3699.
