Coaches
BOB & ALISON COOPER - DIRECTORS
Bob & Alison have over 20 years coaching experience and are well known and respected throughout the world of Acrobatics. They have worked for British Gymnastics as National Tumbling and Acrobatic Coaches taking teams to World and European Championships and have produced many Senior & Junior World Champions for Spelthorne and Great Britain. They hold 5 National titles each (Bob in Mixed Pairs and Alison in Womens Pairs) and as former gymnasts won medals at World and European Championships. Both Bob & Alison are International Performance Coaches and are holders of the British Gymnastics Master of Sport and British Gymnastics Master Coach Awards. More recently they have assisted coaching the USA National Team whilst spending time abroad.
JULI COWLER
Juli is the Deputy Manager of the Club as well as a Level 3 Pre-School Coach which she has been teaching for 7 years. Juli’s ability to work with pre-school children is second to none and many of the gymnasts at Spelthorne started with Juli’s classes. Juli is also qualified as a Level 2 General Coach, a Level 1 Assistant Artistic Coach, and has also taken a Level 1 Judging Course. She has 5 children, 3 of which have achieved International Success in the sport and 2 which are showing the ability to in the future.
LEIGHANNE COWLER
Leighanne is a member of 'Spelbound' and has been training as a gymnast since she was 2 years old! She is the 2009 Junior British Champion in Womens Groups and was part of the Acrobatic Team representing Great Britain at the European Championships in October 2009 and the World Championships in July 2010. Leighanne began coaching as an assistant at the very young age of 12 and has gained experience working at many different Clubs. She is a Level 1 Assistant Coach in Acrobatics, a Level 2 Coach in Cheerleading and has a First Diploma in Sport and Exercise Science.
TRACY AXTEN
Tracy has been working at Spelthorne for the past 5 years and is an Assistant Club Level 1 Coach. Tracy coaches the Development Squads where she has tremendous knowledge, energy and enthusiasm and an excellent ability to work with children of all ages.
TRUDY MALINS
Trudy is an Assistant Club Level 1 Coach as well as a pre-school teacher which gives her the unique ability to handle and relate superbly to the younger children creating fun alongside the hard work. Trudy has experience in both gymnastics and trampolining and holds a Regional Inter-Schools Gold Medal.
SHARON STURT
Sharon started coaching after training as an artistic gymnast for 8 years. She coached for 5 years and then took some time out to have her 2 children (both of whom have won World Medals in Acrobatic Gymnastics for Spelthorne). Sharon returned to coaching about 8 years ago and is now a Level 2 Coach and has experience in General, Artistic and Acrobatic Gymnastics.
KERI BURGESS
Keri trained as an artistic gymnast for 10 years before she got married and had 5 children. She is a Level 3 Pre-School Coach and a Level 1 Assistant Artistic Coach. Keri has tremendous patience and enjoys working with children of all ages especially teaching the Pre-School and General Classes.
SOPHIE BALDOCK
Sophie trained at Spelthorne as a gymnast for 13 years. She is a Level 1 Artistic Assistant Coach and has an A Level in Dance and PE. Sophie has been coaching as an assistant at Spelthorne for 4 years and is now working with the Artistic Development Squad.
ELLIE COOPER
Ellie is a former International performer in womens group and womens pairs. She placed 2nd in the World Junior Acrobatics Championships in 2004 and 2006 and was British Junior Champion and British Schools Champion. Ellie trained in dance at Laines Theatre Arts in Epsom, Surrey and spent one year at the Orange County High School of the Arts in Los Angeles, California studying commercial dance. She was also a member of the Cheerleading and Dance Team at Capistrano Valley High School, Orange County, California and a member of 'Orange Crush' cheerleading team where she competed at the California State Championships at Universal Studios.