LOCAL students have been recognised for their gymnastic exploits.

Holywell High students Mabli Kadelka-Williams, year 11, and Daniel Davies, year 7, were nominated for the Welsh Gym North Area Awards by Delyn Gymnastics, who run the community recreational gymnastics club at the school.

At the awards ceremony, Mabli won a Young Helper of the Year Award for her volunteer services to the club, and Daniel was presented with a Most Improved Gymnast Award.

The ceremony was held at Venue Cymru in Llandudno and attended by 500 people from gymnastics clubs across North Wales.

From the age of 13, when Mabli qualified as a gymnastics sports leader, she has attended the club every Monday evening to help prepare and set up the sessions. About 100 children attend and Mabli coaches and looks after the younger gymnasts.

Daniel is new to gymnastics, having only started at the club a year ago, and has made remarkable progress in a short space of time. His interest is in freestyle gymnastics which showcases his natural creativity and skill and he also teaches some of the younger boys in the club.

Jen Waite, head coach at Delyn Gymnastics, said: "It is fantastic for Mabli and Daniel to receive formal recognition at the awards ceremony in front of all North Wales’ gymnastics clubs. It’s a way of saying ‘thank you’ too for all their support.

"We nominated Mabli as she has consistently turned up, week in week out, and it’s great knowing that she is going to be there. I only have to message her with what the next session is going to focus on, and she knows exactly what’s required and sets it all up perfectly. All the children love her, she is so supportive with the class which has children from year two upwards.

"Daniel is a very physically capable person and it’s incredible to think he’s only been doing gymnastics for a year; the improvement has been huge. He has the potential to go far and we’re looking to involve him in setting up a freestyle gymnastics club with a trained boys’ gymnastics instructor."