Nadia Riis Kofoed Hansen arrived last month after graduating from the prestigious Ollerup Academy of Physical Education. Nadia specialises in coaching tumbling and trampette (mini-trampoline) skills.

She brings great expertise to the team of coaches at PCYC Gymaroos, following on from Martin Moesgaard, who was part of the 2013 Denmark/Australia coach exchange.

Martin trained athletes and coaches in Danish style tumbling and was instrumental in PCYC athletes Daniel Stocks and Ivan Jarvis earning a place on the NSW team. Daniel and Ivan competed at Australian championships and Daniel won the national under 17 short track tumbling title. Martin's other major achievement was the formation of the 'Dreamtime Sistas'. The Dreamtime Sistas were Australia's first ever Koori performance gymnastics team and represented PCYC Gymaroos at the Adelaide Gymnaestrada. The Dreamtime Sistas and the Gymaroos have joined forces this year to train for the 2015 World Gymnaestrada in Finland.

"'I love the technical side of teaching and learning gymnastics skills," Nadia said of her coaching style.

Nadia says that to be good at jumping (tumbling) gymnasts must be prepared to do the small things over and over. This work ethic is what earned her a place on the Danish teamgym team in 2012.

She will continue on where Martin left off with the competitive tumblers and she also has another special project. Nadia will put together a demonstration team to show Australia what European teamgym looks like.

Currently Gymnastics NSW is running teamgym competition but it is quite different to the European teamgym in which thousands of Danes compete each year. Nadia will select her team from the Gymaroo peformance and tumbling athletes and train in preparation for demonstrations at the NSW Teamgym Championships and the NSW State Festival of Gymnastics later this year.

Teamgym consists of a team of six to 12 athletes competing on three apparatus - floor, mini-trampoline and tumbling.

PCYC Gymaroos hopes to send five or six teams to compete at NSW Teamgym Championships as well as Nadia's demonstration team.

Nadia is running clinics throughout the school holidays at the PCYC. These tumbling clinics are suitable for gymnasts beginner to advanced and also dancers, circus artists, parkour enthusiasts or similar. Anyone interested in attending the clinics or starting gymnastics should contact the Taree PCYC on 6551 0292.