Cathy McGowan (Indi, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I would like to tell you about Moyhu, a beautiful town in the King Valley in north-east Victoria. Moyhu has a population of around 300, but on Monday and Thursday nights over 100 children come from all around the region to the Moyhu and District Youth Club for their amazing gymnastics programs. The club first started in 1943, as a boxing troupe for boys. But today both boys and girls participate in gymnastics classes each week in a Nissen hut that was built in the late 1970s. The club is working towards a new building in the next five years to provide more facilities.

On a recent visit I saw children participating in activities such as balance-beam routines, spinning around the uneven bars, tumbling on the floor, swinging from the Roman rings and vaulting. The energy of the young people and their coaches was an amazing site. I am told that many of the gymnasts are now competing at state-wide events. Well done, and congratulations to the mentors and to the committee, especially to Diane and Kevin Hooper and to Alex, Amy, Anneshka, Charlotte, Donna, Emma, Jacqui, Lily and Sophie, the coaches who achieved the club's vision of encouraging physical activity and participation in our local community and our local sports. But what would truly like to acknowledge is the parents who make it all happen by getting in cars to drive the young people there. And to the young people, it is a fantastic effort. Your grace and your agility—I have such admiration for you. Keep up the good work.

See this speech in context