A Clubmark accredited gymnastics club have become the first winners of ITV’s new sports entertainment show “Let’s Get Gold”.The Let's get Gold presenters! 

A quartet of acro-gymnasts from the County Durham based Deerness Gymnastics Academy competed in the prime-time national programme last weekend.

Their skill and technique wowed a celebrity judging panel featuring Rio Ferdinand, Freddie Flintoff, Martine McCutcheon and Una Healy. Their victory landed them a £100,000 prize which will go to club funds.

The team – which also recently also won the world acro-gymnastic championship - competed in the show as ‘Acropolis’.  It consisted of: Jesse Heskett (17) from Seaburn, Sunderland; Matthew Evison (19) from Esh Winning; Newcastle University student Dorian Walker (21) and Richard Hurst (21) also from Esh Winning.

“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for our senior men’s team and also Deerness Gymnastics Academy. I am really proud that the nation has seen the fantastic skills and hard work that led this team to become world champions for Team GB,” said Karl Wharton, director of gymnastics at the Deerness Academy.

“As a charitable body and volunteer led club, the prize fund is going to make such a big difference to our future but even just taking part is a great reward for all of our gymnasts and tumblers who dedicate many hours a week to developing  the skills and experience to gain recognition at national and international level.”

Deerness Gymnastics Academy, located in Ushaw Moor, County Durham, and was first accredited with Clubmark in 2004.

They have arguably become one of Britain’s most successful clubs over the past twenty years, producing over 60 internationals including three World and four European Champions.

Another gymnastics club with Clubmark accreditation also took part in ”Let’s Get Gold”.

Northamptonshire Trampoline Gymnastics Academy sent a six-strong team using the name Air Gravity, which included former Olympian Jaime Halsey.