One of the gymnasts from our local Nelson club has recently won the national secondary schools gymnastics championships. Dan Parker featured in a half-page story in our local paper last week. He’s an impressive young man, not only for his drive to improve his own performance but also for the way he’s willing to give up time to coach the beginners. Here are some images from the recent TOTS (Top of the South) competition in July:
The rings are always a challenge (easier to photograph too, with the action more confined):
Finally, a few from the high bar and parallel bars:
Dan’s next goal is the national championships in Blenheim in October. I’ll be covering that event – my big challenge as a sports photographer. Perhaps my biggest challenge will be to resist the temptation to concentrate on the Nelson gymnasts (who have been really helpful as I try to learn more about this sport) and ensure that I get a good coverage of as many gymnasts as possible.
Good luck Dan!
