Number 6: Aerobic Gymnastics Judges' Exam

My youngest daughter spends the majority of her spare time in the gym training for the sport she loves, Aerobic gymnastics. I'm sure that the majority of you reading this will never have heard of this as a sport-I certainly hadn't until my daughter got involved. It is an official branch of gymnastics under the FIG (Federation Internationalle de Gymnastiques) umbrella and is very dynamic and great to watch. It comprises a fast routine ( hence the aerobic element)of one minute twenty seconds, performed to music with a strong beat, on a sprung wooden floor. The gymnastics demonstrate strength , flexibility, complexity of movements as well as incorporating many gymnastics elements. As they get older they can have up to 10 difficulty elements incorporated into their routine which need hours of training to perfect.

Four years ago I decided to get involved and help out by becoming a judge for my club. This has involved learning the fine details of the sport and every four years, running with the olympic cycle, a new Code of Points is produced and all judges must revalidate their qualification. For me as a Club level judge this has involved a two day course completed by taking a written and practical exam which thankfully I passed.

If you ever get the opportunity, take a chance to look up this exciting sport as it deserves more publicity than it gets. It is hoped that one day it will make it into the olympics so watch this space!