A Gymnastics coach from Basingstoke has been singled out for national recognition for her inspirational and much-loved coaching at the club.

Katie Hayes, 26, is head of team gym development at Basingstoke Gymnastics Club and has been shortlisted in the Community Coach of the Year category ahead of the British Gymnastics Awards.

Having been in gymnastics as a child, Hayes began coaching at the age of 14 and now coaches young squads and teams ahead of competitions - with several gymnasts following her to her current club when she initially moved there.

And she said: “My top thing is that the gymnasts are having fun and being a part of that journey.

“I look forward to coaching all the gymnasts, whether they are a gymnast who trains once a week or whether they are a gymnast who is in for multiple sessions. The top priority is for them to enjoy gymnastics.

“Also I enjoy the challenging side of things. When something’s not quite going right, I enjoy talking to the gymnasts and working out what we can do to overcome that challenge.

“I also love that moment where they achieve something. Whether it’s a small thing or a big thing, being with the gymnast when they’re feeling super happy and super proud of themselves because they’ve achieved something new.

“I’m really fortunate to coach teams, so I have lots of gymnasts underneath me and my coaches. The main part for them is belonging in a team and I know social media can be a bit of a downfall for young gymnasts and young adults.

“One of things we do as a team is that we go and get everyone together outside of the gym and we have fun together as well as inside. It’s like a second home to most of those kids coming in.”

The British Gymnastics Awards are community led and about championing those who make the sport an uplifting experience for all, with more nominations than ever before coming in this year.

It is the creativity, dedication and passion from people in the sport that make gymnastics an accessible, inclusive and enjoyable sport for all.

The nominations have been judged by panels made up of British Gymnastics committee members and external panellists from across UK Sport, Gymnova, Milano, Gymaid, Youth Sport Trust, Sport England, Women in Sport, The Include Summit, Sport and Recreation Alliance, The Sport for Development Coalition and GB gymnasts.

Despite Hayes’ significant popularity within the club, such recognition was never something she expected.

She added: “I was completely surprised - I had no idea whatsoever that somebody had nominated me for this award. That day when I opened my emails, it was like: ‘What’s this?’

“It was a complete surprise when I saw the email, but I was quite proud that somebody had recognised me and felt they wanted to nominate me for an award.

“I felt quite proud seeing that email!”

The British Gymnastics Awards celebrate those at the heart of gymnastics who create an uplifting experience for all. British Gymnastics has launched a new vision for a new era of gymnastics, learn more about Leap Without Limits here - https://www.british-gymnastics.org/vision