Okehampton gymnast makes history with double Great Britain selection
Okehampton Flyers celebrate national recognition for young star
Okehampton Flyers gymnast Mason Parker-Groves has achieved an outstanding sporting milestone after securing selection to represent Great Britain in two gymnastics disciplines at this year's Trampoline and Double Mini Trampoline (DMT) World Championships in Nanjing, China.
Having already earned his place in the GB team for double mini trampoline, Mason has now also been selected for the trampoline competition, a rare achievement for a junior gymnast and a fantastic reward for years of dedication and hard work.
Competing at national level, gymnasts must achieve demanding World Championship qualification scores in each discipline to earn selection.
Mason's journey in national trampolining began at just 10 years old, and he has steadily progressed to become one of the leading gymnasts in his age group. His breakthrough came earlier this year, securing silver medals in the English series in March, followed by his first UK National Championship bronze medal in April.
Continued improvements in execution, height, time of flight and difficulty have seen Mason raise his performances throughout the season. In trampoline, he achieved seven double somersaults in his voluntary routine before hitting the challenging World Championship qualifying score at the English Championships in July. He subsequently upgraded his routine difficulty and repeated the qualifying standard at the British Gymnastics UK National Finals in October.
His progress in DMT has been equally impressive. Mason first exceeded the required qualifying score in July by 0.8 points before improving further at the national finals in October, finishing an impressive 1.6 points above the required standard.
The selections mark several significant milestones in his young career. Mason earned his first England selection for trampolining in August, followed by his first Great Britain selection in October. Although he had previously represented England in DMT, this is also his first-ever Great Britain selection in that discipline.
His performances have placed him number one in the GB men's 13–14 age group for DMT and number three for trampolining.
Mason's coach, Vicki Pritchard, praised his achievement, saying: "Mason's achievement is the result of years of hard work and dedication. To be selected to represent Great Britain in both of the gymnastics disciplines he trains in is an incredible achievement and a testament to the level of commitment he has shown in his training over the last few years."
However, representing Great Britain comes at a considerable financial cost. All GB team places are self-funded, with competition expenses, specialist kit and travel to the World Championships and other international events costing families several thousand pounds.
Okehampton Flyers has therefore launched a GoFundMe appeal to help Mason travel to China and compete on the world stage.
Mason, his family and the club are extremely grateful for the support already received, with special thanks to the Inner Wheel of Okehampton for its generous £300 donation and Amethyst Taxi for contributing £100.
Anyone wishing to support Mason's journey to the World Championships can donate through the club's fundraising page:
Meanwhile, Okehampton Flyers is also inviting new talent to join its regional and national squads, with trials currently taking place. Anyone interested in trying trampolining, DMT or tumbling, or applying for a squad trial, can contact [email protected].