FARNHAM-based Stellar Gymnastics Club which opened in January this year, enjoyed the privilege of officially opening the 2015 World Gymnastics Championships in Glasgow as winners of a competition run in conjunction by event organisers and British Gymnastics.

The team, coached by Hannah Fox, pressed the button to launch the ‘Worlds’ after being drawn from hundreds of entries invited as part of British Gymnastics ‘Be Part of It’campaign – which puts clubs at the heart of the championships and give them the opportunity to engage and interact with the event.

Each gymnastics club across Britain received an official supporters’ pack, containing a series of letters. Clubs were encouraged to submit a photograph of the club displaying these in support of the event.

Joining Hannah to mark the occasion were club members Tegan Cobley and Abbie Jacobsen, and her second in command, Sophie Thomas. Tegan and Abbie were delighted to be drawn at random, Tegan, 12, said: “I found out I had won the competition about a month or two ago.

“My mum told me when I was in bed that night and I couldn’t sleep. I screamed so loud, I was so excited. I think the other girls in the club were quite jealous I was going. It’s really great to be here – the gymnasts are so good. I’ll be looking for tips on my floor routine.”

At the prospect of witnessing Great Britain’s women take one step closer to qualification for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, a privilege earned by the top eight nations progressing to the Team Finals in Glasgow, Abbie said: “I am going to be supporting the British team as a whole, because I know expectations for them will be high.

“It was amazing to get the chance to open the Championships. I remember coming home from school and my mum telling me to come into the front room. I asked my mum what was wrong and I looked at the computer and saw I had won, I was really excited. I was screaming.”

Head coach Hannah Fox, who launched Stellar less than a year ago, has been involved in gymnastics for 13 years and has been coaching for the past eight years.

She said: “The World Championships is an opportunity for them to see one day where they could be. It’s an aspiration for them and gets them massively engaged.

“It is the same as football. There are lots of little lads who watch the FA Cup or the World Cup and that’s where they want to be and it is the same for this sport.”

Those interested in joining, should come along on Wednesdays from 5.30pm to 7.30pm at Weydon School and Saturdays from 9am to 2pm at Farnham Heath End School. For more information see the website­www.stellargymnastics.co.

uk/ or email [email protected].