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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-07-15 Daily Xml
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CALISTHENICS

Ms BEDFORD (Florey) (15:33): Having just returned from supporting our state calisthenics competitors at the 21st national competition of the ACF, it is my pleasure to report to the house the successes of our state team representatives. South Australia competed in each section—sub juniors, juniors, intermediates and seniors—as did Victoria, Western Australia and the host state, Queensland. The Northern Territory competed in intermediates and the ACT in juniors and seniors. After competing in team events last year, New South Wales could send representatives only in the junior and senior Gracefuls, and I am happy to report that they were successful in gaining places in both those closed competitions.

Tuesday saw our girls involved in stage familiarisation and practices in preparation for their items. Wednesday was devoted to Graceful and calisthenics solos and duos over all age groups, with wonderful performances by 86 girls in all, with an opening ceremony thrown in at the commencement of the evening session.

The Queensland organising committee and Calisthenics Association of Queensland president, Anita Roser, and her executive are to be congratulated for the smooth running of this great event. Some states do not realise how great and diverse the calisthenics community is. After the first day, theatre and catering staff began to realise that this great but minority sport has a very big following with capacity audiences on all days.

Australian Calisthenic Federation president, Lynne Hayward, her executive team and director of competitions, Liz Kratzel, do a great deal to ensure calisthenics has a professional foundation and outlook, and I acknowledge their efforts. Many life members were present, although I did miss life member and fellow patron from South Australia, Bill Scott.

Our state team officials (manager, Bev Daysh; CASA president, Darren Emes; ACF and CASA life member David Hooper; and Jan Tinker-Casson), along with a wonderful group of team managers and chaperones, not to mention the great backstage crew, made sure our teams had the best possible opportunity to shine, and shine they certainly did.

Thursday saw two divisions. Subjuniors—coached by Melissa Daysh, assisted by Sarah Stephenson, Danielle Wickham and Robyn Faeshe—produced some beautiful items that saw the team win March section and placed second overall. Juniors—coached by Nikki Ianunzio, assisted by Keron White and Annika Sellen—won their section convincingly with five firsts and a second in the six item competition. They did a fantastic job and thoroughly deserved their win.

Inters was a hotly contested day on Friday with five state and territory teams competing. It was an even contest and a very good day.

South Australia went very well and coach Tracey Emes, who was assisted by Lorinda Brooking and Phillipa White, pushed creative boundaries for some great results and the second placing overall.

Saturday saw the premier day of senior competition. Our coach Anna Tinker-Casson, assisted by Melissa Evans and Felicity Meadows, faced a really tough competition with Victoria and eventual winner Western Australia. There were dead heats and triple dead heats in a very close competition which saw South Australia finish in the placings, having worked to their maximum in items that were breathtaking.

The whole competition finished with a dinner attended by all at a nearby venue. I estimate that about 3,000 were involved in that dinner which also featured team presentations and a disco for the girls who had worked so hard over many months to perfect their items.

Calisthenics is a great sport. There are many clubs throughout South Australia and nationally and with a bit of work in New South Wales and Tasmania, where we are not making a foothold yet, I am sure you will see it as a national competition very soon. Club officials make sure our girls have opportunities to compete regularly or just enjoy their sport at the local level.

Parents and friends know about the secret of calisthenics. The girls learn skills, maintain fitness and learn about performing, which gives them great self-confidence. Calisthenics as a sport relies on mums for great costumes which is a highlight of any calisthenic performance, and I not only thank the girls for their commitment to their sport and the many wonderful items I have seen over the past 12 years, but also their families for their dedication in taking girls to club, state and national events.

I have met many wonderful people over the years and look forward to continuing to grow these relationships, especially as we work together to restore and improve the facilities at the Royalty Theatre, which is the home of calisthenics in South Australia. It is a heritage listed theatre on Angas Street, with a great deal of work to be done to make sure the girls enjoy the facilities that are so good in other states but sadly lacking here in South Australia. With co-South Australian patron, Jane Lomax-Smith, I hope to be able to ensure that ministers—particularly, sport minister, the Hon. Michael Wright—are in a position to make sure that that is a reality in the not-too-distant future.

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