Cate Shearwater

Somersaults and Dreams: Going for Gold


Скачать книгу

id="u6999e0d2-5922-563f-a0dd-e7aae657cedb">

      

image
image

       Somersaults and Dreams: Going for Gold

      First published in Great Britain 2016

      by Egmont UK Limited

      The Yellow Building, 1 Nicholas Road, London W11 4AN

      Text copyright © 2016 Cate Shearwater

      Illustration copyright © 2016 Jongmee

      The moral rights of the author and illustrator have been asserted

      First e-book edition 2016

      ISBN 978 1 4052 6902 5

      Ebook ISBN 978 1 7803 1426 6

       www.egmont.co.uk

      A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library

      All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

      Stay safe online. Any website addresses listed in this book are correct at the time of going to print. However, Egmont is not responsible for content hosted by third parties.

      Please be aware that online content can be subject to change and websites can contain content that is unsuitable for children. We advise that all children are supervised when using the internet.

image

      For all the West Country League A squad girlies, past and present: Eva, Georgia, Gaia, Nancy, Camille, Esme, Niamh, Phoebe, Livvy, Isobel, Abby. And Elsie, of course!

      And for Lynne Hutchison whose remarkable return from injury inspired this story and who continues to inspire young gymnasts across the country.

      Thanks.

      Contents

       Cover

       Title Page

       Copyright

       Dedication

       CHAPTER Eight

       CHAPTER Nine

       CHAPTER Ten

       CHAPTER Eleven

       CHAPTER Twelve

       CHAPTER Thirteen

       CHAPTER Fourteen

       CHAPTER Fifteen

       CHAPTER Sixteen

       CHAPTER Seventeen

       CHAPTER Eighteen

       CHAPTER Nineteen

       CHAPTER Twenty

       CHAPTER Twenty-One

       CHAPTER Twenty-Two

       CHAPTER Twenty-Three

       CHAPTER Twenty-Four

       CHAPTER Twenty-Five

       CHAPTER Twenty-Six

       CHAPTER Twenty-Seven

       CHAPTER Twenty-Eight

       CHAPTER Twenty-Nine

       CHAPTER Thirty

       CHAPTER Thirty-One

       CHAPTER Thirty-Two

       CHAPTER Thirty-Three

       CHAPTER Thirty-Four

       CHAPTER Thirty-Five

       Acknowledgements

image

       One

      Ellie Trengilly stood in the middle of the biggest gym she’d ever seen in her life. A vast white space with a sea of blue mats spreading out in all directions, white brick walls stretching up to viewing balconies and vaulted ceilings, and an arch leading to a pitted area. The National Sports Training Centre was all so shiny-new and high-tech that if Ellie’s heart hadn’t been bursting with excitement, she would almost have felt homesick for the familiar tatty surroundings of her old Academy. Almost.

      Ellie still couldn’t believe she’d been offered a place in the Junior GB gymnastics squad! Only twelve girls qualified for that honour each year. It meant they were invited to attend National squad camps like this one: a week of intensive training with top coaches at the National Sports Training Centre. It meant they were entitled to wear the coveted GB leotard, and it might – just might – mean a chance to compete for their country.

      Of course, that was still a distant dream – for now, just being invited to National squad camp was enough for Ellie, as well as the fact that she was there with some of her best friends from the London Gymnastics Academy! Sweet, sensible Bella and Kashvi the tomboy were there, and even crazy little circus girl Katya had been offered a place – incredible, since she’d only started formal gymnastics training less than a year ago. And then there was Scarlett, Queen of the Beam – although Ellie didn’t really consider her a friend!

      Not all of her old Pre-Elite squad mates had made it into National squad, though. Camille had missed out due to injury, and Nancy . . . Ellie sighed at the thought of her best friend, who had given up gymnastics last year. Nancy’s twin brother, Tam, was here with the boys’ squad, but it wasn’t quite the same as having Nancy herself here to share everything with.

      ‘Welcome to National squad camp.’ Ellie’s thoughts were dragged sharply back to the present by the small, elegant, grey-haired figure of Barbara Steele, head national coach. She was addressing the twelve Junior girls