BRIDPORT gymnast George Holland, along with his team-mates from Orchard Gymnastics – Florence Rawbone, Ella Smith, and Lexi O’Sullivan – have won a silver medal in the Junior Micro Team category at the TeamGym British Championships.

The British Gymnastics Championship Series saw four disciplines come together, with British champions crowned in each.

The disciplines of acrobatic, aerobic, rhythmic and TeamGym all took centre stage at the M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool, with Britain’s best gymnasts from each discipline coming to compete for a British medal.

It has been quite a journey for the young gymnasts from Yeovil-based Orchard Gymnastics.

It began back in March when the team took gold at the Southern Region Qualification event, securing entry into the prestigious British TeamGym Championships.

It was not a smooth ride for the team and they faced lots of challenges along the way.

With just a few days to go before travelling to Liverpool, 14-year-old team-mate Connie Symms sustained an injury in training that deemed her unable to compete.

After this devastating blow the team had to pull out plan B.

The setbacks did not stop there, and just as the competition got underway, team-mate Florence Rawbone 15, suffered ligament damage to her foot on take-off for a twisting somersault.

Coaches Sarah Clifton and Barry Phelan started to think that this could be the end of the journey but despite all the odds this team were determined not to go down without a fight.

The team had to suddenly make changes to what they would compete in and pushed themselves harder than they ever thought possible.

Skill and determination shone through in the end and earned them their first British medal.

Orchards’ coaching director Karen Phelan said: “It was a nerve-racking day for gymnasts, coaches and parents, but what a test of our gymnasts’ mental and physical abilities to have overcome heartbreak and disappointment and achieve a silver medal.

“We are so very proud.”

Holland,14, has been training at Orchard since he was seven after a great start at Bridport Leisure Centre.

This is the third time he and his squad have made it to the national finals but the first time they have won medals.