I’ve had a few people ask me lately ‘what made you decide to write a book?’  The very simple answer is, I did it for the smiles…and because I wanted to. 

But for those who’d like to maybe know a little more, here goes. I’ve taught gymnastics for over 25 years now and having owned my own gymnastics club since 2009, I have found that in recent years my ‘why’ around coaching has shifted. I used to dream of teaching elite level competitive gymnastics, thinking that this would be the pinnacle of my coaching career. But somewhere along the way, these coaching aspirations have fallen by the wayside and I am much more focussed on helping children be the best they can be by offering them amazing gymnastics experiences. I care more about the smiles on their little faces and the life skills that gymnastics programs help them develop than whether they make it onto a podium and win a medal. 

And herein lies the reason I decided to write a children illustration book all about gymnastics. I wanted to create something special for all the little people who love being upside down; for the children who love to ‘flip’ and roll, who love to twist and turn and who get pure enjoyment out of this wonderful sport. Most of all I wanted to fuel children’s passion for gymnastics, long after they leave the gymnastics hall. 

I had some time on my hands on a recent trip to the UK so I put pencil to paper. I made a clay doll so that I could visualise the character, for whom my sister ‘Sarah Katie’ was the inspiration and I knew the perfect person to approach to bring her to life in the illustrations. Tiana jumped at the opportunity to be a part of such a wonderful project, it helped that she was once a gymnast and coach herself. 

I’ve never written a book before, so I needed to research what to do and I spent a lot of time investigating different publishing options and getting the book just as I wanted it. I loved the process from start to finish and like most goals I set for myself, I was determined to see it through to the end. I am often applauded for my grit and tenacity in seeing projects through, regardless how out of reach they may seem at the start. 

To see the book I have written, in print for the first time was truly wonderful and you couldn’t wipe the smile off my face for about a week, but what sealed the deal for me and what has made the journey truly worthwhile, is the smiles on the faces of the gymnasts who have read ‘Sarah Katie wants to be a gymnast’ and who have loved it. It has touched their hearts as I hoped it would and they have fallen in love with the little piggy-tailed girl as she starts her journey into the world of gymnastics. 

I can only hope that the book continues to give pleasure and enjoyment to many other aspiring young gymnastics the world over. And in typical me style, book 2 will be out in time for Christmas 💕

Learning how to stay positive and never giving up, even when whatever we are trying to achieve seems impossible, is a challenge that most of us will face at one time or another. 

When you are caught up in the middle of something and when nothing seems to be going your way, it can be very tempting to throw your hands in the air and walk away; to give up on all the hard work you’ve done up to that point and lose sight of your goal or dream through fear, frustration and feelings of defeat. 

But what we need to remember at times like this, is that sometimes things take time and that even the best laid plans can go awry. Sometimes the road is more winding that we would like and we may not be able to see the path on the other side of the forest for the many trees we have to navigate our way through at any given moment. And it is usually the things which we crave and desire the most that we have to work the hardest to achieve and it is in those dreams which we invest our hearts, our emotions and so much of our energy. 

The road may be long and the journey tumultuous; there may be tears and tantrums and moments of weakness and despair; many things along the way may seem uncertain and scary but the only thing that we can be absolutely sure of, without question or doubt, is that if we admit defeat, give up and walk away, our dreams and goals will never have the opportunity to come true. 

Something I need to remind myself of often  is to trust in the journey, try to remember that all things happen for a reason and if we can learn to let go of the things which we cannot control, even just a little bit, the roller coaster ride may be a little less scary and much less emotionally draining. 

Trust in the journey. Never give up 💜