Mental Health Awareness Week | Jack’s Story
The high-flying acrobatics of Spartans Gymnastics Display Team have wowed Gymfest and international audiences alike for years. So, when Fran Reid caught her son Jack teaching himself how to do somersaults in their driveway when he was eight years old, there should have been no doubt over which club Jack was destined for. Now, after ten years at the club, Spartans are more like family to Jack.
Explaining how he first became a member of the club, Jack said:
“I was a diver in the Edinburgh diving squad and initially took up gymnastics to help with this. I joined the club my sister was in and then moved to Spartans after seeing them at Gymfest. Over the last few years, I realised that gymnastics was where I wanted to be, so I put all my efforts and time into this now.”
Jack’s experience as a diver won’t shock those who attended Gymfest 2024. His agility in the air at the event that inspired him to join Spartans in the first place is a full circle moment that ties together an important story.
Fran, who herself is a coach at the club, said:
“Jack was very badly bullied at school as a young boy. The gym was his safe space, where he could truly be himself, where he was accepted and where he could do what made him happy – gymnastics. Without this I’m not sure where we would have been. He has made friends for life, made incredible progress as a gymnast, developed in so many ways with coaching and his self-improvement. All of this has given him confidence and belief in himself.”
Sport is not just important for physical health. It plays a key role on mental health. Spartans allows Jack to do the sport he loves in a supportive environment without having to worry about anything else.
“In the gym you forget about everything else, you are so focused on your moves that you are able to escape everything else for a while. Being with friends and doing what you love really helps.”
Gymnastics provides Jack with an outlet to express himself in ways not attainable in classrooms. A former teacher, Fran understands better than most how not everyone learns and develops in the same way.
“In the classroom, children have to conform and fit into boxes that just aren’t their shape. At the gym they can be free. If they can’t stand still, we encourage them to jump around, point their toes, use their arms. They have freedom to express themselves, to burn off pent up energy and just let go. We encourage this in a safe, controlled manner with an understanding of how hard it can be.”
This mindset is moulded into the DNA of Spartans. Fran’s position as coach at the club was therefore likely just as predictable as Jack’s as a gymnast. Head coach Sheelagh Glover encouraged Fran to become a part of the coaching set up after discovering that Fran is a former gymnast and teacher. The mother and son connection of Fran and Jack is symbolic of the family like environment Sheelagh has embedded into the club.
Jack said: “Sheelagh is an amazing coach. She is really understanding and helps me to achieve all my goals in the gym with the moves I want to learn. She has always encouraged me and just gets me. I was so proud when she made Ewan and I vice captains.”
Encouraging everyone no matter their background or skillset is at the heart of the Spartans’ ethos.
Fran said:
“Everyone deserves equal opportunities in life and gymnastics is no different. We can give them confidence and self-belief no matter what their ability. We all have different strengths and rather than being made to conform in many ways it’s about allowing them the freedom to find their own comfort zone and flourish in this space. It’s great to be able to give back a small bit to say thanks and to give others the same experiences that Jack has had.”
Jack’s advice for anyone considering getting into gymnastics is to just go for it: “It’s a great sport and you make friends for life. It’s a sport where everyone can find something that they enjoy and are good at. There are so many things to do and it’s great for fitness.”
Feeling inspired by Jack’s journey and want to increase your levels of movement and physical activity? You can find great resources from Mental Health Foundation on how to increase physical activity this Mental Health Awareness Week.