Tyneside gymnast wins championship medal

Gateshead College student Nathaniel Scott was part of the Double Mini Trampoline team which took bronze at the recent World Championships in Bulgaria.

The success topped a fantastic weekend for the rising star, who won through the preliminary rounds and came fourth in the individual heats – narrowly missing out on third place by just 0.3 points.

The 18-year-old has a history of success in the sport having come third in the 2012 European Junior Championships.

Nathaniel said: “Standing in a massive arena with everyone chanting my name was huge pressure and the adrenaline was immense. I was due to compete last and I knew I had to finish my routine to win a medal.

“I never thought I’d get a medal before I was 20; it’s the best feeling ever. It’s weird to have been there watching my heroes and now I’m competing against them.

“The training has been strict and I’ve put in lots of hours and hard work. I trained alongside Katherine Driscoll who competed at the Olympics in 2012 so her experience has been really helpful.”

Nathaniel got his rewards after undergoing a rigorous training programme at Gateshead College’s Academy of Sport. His preparation included an intensive strength and conditioning programme delivered by elite athletes and qualified fitness instructors in state-of-the-art facilities.

Ross Drummond, Nathaniel’s strength and conditioning coach at Gateshead College, said: “I’m over the moon for Nathaniel. He was aiming just to reach the finals so for him to win a medal is fantastic.

“His success is a great example of what we’re trying to achieve at the Academy of Sport, which offers young people the chance to progress onto the career ladder in a variety of sporting disciplines.”

Nathaniel is not the only young athlete who has benefited from the sports facilities and training programmes at Gateshead College.

Budding boxing coach Jordan Minchell took his first steps towards a career in the boxing ring after the college signed him up as a sports apprentice. The 20-year-old will work alongside Steve Cranston, the college’s head boxing coach, and an Amateur Boxing Association of England (ABA) high-performance coach as he looks to turn his passion into a long-term career.