Sport
29 March, 2022
Emily crowned Tablelands first ever level 10 gymnast
ATHERTON’S star gymnast Emily Mills has become the Tablelands maiden Level 10 gymnast after her first senior competition at the end of February, a testament to her skills and determination on and off the matts.
Achieving status as a Level 10 gymnast at just 16 years old is an amazing achievement not only for Emily, but for her club, Momentum Gymnastics.
Emily earned her stripes as a Level 10 gymnast after the Chalk it Up and Raise the Bar events held in Mareeba and Barron Valley respectively.
Level 10 is the highest level a gymnast can achieve in national stream gymnastics before moving into the elite streams and there are currently only 20 other level 10 gymnasts in Queensland.
Since prep Emily has been on the mats at Momentum Gymnastics, first starting off in their entry level classes before her love and passion for the sport pushed her higher.
“I started gymnastics when I was about 5, in prep, and it was just a bit of fun,” Emily said.
“I really love gymnastics and I would like to train more than the 16 hours a week I already do. “Getting to Level 10 has always been a goal for me and to achieve it feels amazing.”
Emily’s double back performance on the floor was a major highlight of her performance and earned amazing support from the spectators.
Level 8 gymnasts Makayla Ghidella and Amy Le’Gear also competed at the Mareeba and Barron Valley competitions with Natarlia Weston joining them to compete in Level 7 at Barron.
Despite not being able to compete themselves due to injury, Hannah Mills and Madison Marshall offered great support to their teammates as they ran through their routines.
Emily’s coach, Dianne Stephens said Emily has been training over 16 hours a week for months in preparation for her level testing.
“The process to get to Level 10 is huge and there are not a lot of girls that actually do it in the entire state, let alone the Tablelands,” she said.
“16 to 18 years old is about right for Level 10, we were hoping that she would get through to her Level 10 by this age.
“Now she will stay in Level 10 and keep competing and upgrading her skills so that will make her even more competitive.”
Due to her performances, Emily has earned a spot in the upcoming Senior State Championships in April and if successful she can be picked for the state squad to compete in nationals.
