Teona Jelbert
Teona leads the Welfare team, supporting gymnasts, parents and staff with any concerns
relating to wellbeing, safeguarding or mental health.
Penzance Gymnastics Club started in 1972 with Wendy Ash running the club in various school halls around the town. Tony and Jan Bragg joined the club as coaches and ran recreational classes at Cross Street, Penzance. Jan and Tony developed the gym, improving the level of gymnastics in the area and from 1982 they took over the full running of the club from Wendy.
Jan and Tony devoted their lives to the club with Jan running it full time, starting with Gym Bobs and progressing throughout the day to County standard classes. Tony dedicated all his spare time outside of lecturing at Cornwall College to coaching mainly the ‘top’ group, who represented the County in intermediate and County competitions.
As time crept up on the building at Cross Street, major building work was needed and the landlords wanted to demolish the gym after 30 years of existence. The gym club then moved to Penzance Leisure Centre where Tony and Jan hired the facilities Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, setting the equipment up every session with help from leisure centre staff.
This all became too much for Jan and Tony as they were approaching their fourth decade as coaches at the club, and they decided to retire at the end of 2011, leaving the club in the capable hands of all the coaches. This was to be a massive learning curve for all at the gym as Jan and Tony lived and breathed gymnastics, leaving big shoes to fill.
The club coaches at the time worked hard to maintain membership and deliver quality gymnastics, whilst in the background two coaches were hatching a spectacular plan – one that now sees Penzance Gymnastics Club thriving. Bibba approached Tay, who was lecturing full time at Penwith College, and asked if she would like to become business partners. The rest is history!
Twelve years on and the club has developed massively, with a deluxe purpose built facility in Long Rock Industrial Estate, facilitating our 500 weekly members, 10 employed members of staff and healthy waiting lists. We also have charity status and increased participation opportunities for all ages, abilities, and disciplines of gymnastics.
This is something Jan and Tony could only have dreamt about. Now Tay and the rest of the team are living their dream along with all the members of Penzance Gymnastics Club.