History . . . . . . The Early Years
And so it begins, a 6 year old girl starts training the sport of acrobatics being tossed and turned in the air. Anna BLAHOBA born in Czechoslovakia where gymnastics is regarded in the same way as Australia’s popular sports swimming and cricket. The young Miss BLAHOBA at age nine focused on becoming a gymnast started district competition soon after and with intense training made her presence felt in the District Titles.
Her quest for perfection was boundless and after winning a State Championship, she then focused on the elite levels where she could represent her country at an international level. Having reached that standard as a junior elite gymnast, and being among the medal winners in a tour of Poland and Hungary this new star kept on rising. Then in a split second, a fall off beam ended it all. A smashed collar bone would not heal in the way expected and even though she could work most of the apparatus, the uneven bars were off the program. Not content with half measures, a temperamental 16 year old Anna stormed off the gymnastic scene and cooled her heels for a year or so.
Enter Madame RYSANEK renowned for her dance and pantomime troupe opened up yet another world to the high spirited teenager. Anna was in her element for a period as a dancer but the itch for gymnastics kept gnawing away. She then became involved with the Czechoslovakian Spartakiade as coach and participant, a spectacular occasion where 15,000 people would participate and the country grinds to a halt. Contemporary ballet came next and with her background of gymnastics she was able to jump higher and leap further than most of her fellow dancers. Then for a number of years the now young lady travelled all over Europe until one day she met a lanky Austrian named Johann TURETSCHEK (big John). John and Anna marry have a child named Silke and ever so reluctantly this new mum follows her husband to Gladstone, Australia.
In a new country and not being able to speak the lingo a very homesick Anna went through a miserable period with the only highlight being her young daughter. Fortunately, National Fitness leader Dick GOON CHEW laid eyes on her vast potential for his fitness classes and in a flash he had her teaching pre-natal and ladies gymnastics and once started a new life opened up. When Anna saw the appallingly low standard of junior gymnastic she took a few forward flips and declared war on all opposing clubs in the state. After bleeding dry some Czechoslovakian libraries to help add to her knowledge, armed with the very latest and best coaching methods, she set to her task with a vengeance.
The 13th October 1977, the small town of Gladstone saw the birth of a new club. THE GLADSTONE GYMNASTIC CLUB slowly emerged at the Auckland Street Community Centre with 12 gymnasts.
Gymnasts |
| Sisters Angela, Jennifer and Suzanne BROOME |
| Michelle BOXALL |
| Vicki HART |
| Sharon HARVEY |
| Sisters Karen and Leanne HUDSON |
| Julie MARXSEN |
| Camilla PEIKER |
| Stephanie RICKSON |
| Sandra RUSSEL |
| Coach: |
Anna TURETSCHEK |
| President: | Leah HARVEY |
| Secretary: |
Sharon STEPHEN |
| Treasurer: | Judy BROOME |
The odds for these new young gymnasts being able to achieve in their new sport were enormous, they trained with museum like equipment, if any and on a concrete floor and when the rain came classes had to cease activity as the hall would fill with water.
That same year the club was invited to its first competition the 1977 Regional Titles (beginners section) and after “2 weeks of intensive training” these first 12 Gladstone gymnasts stepped onto the competitive floor with 80 fellow competitors from surrounding areas. From this very first competition results proved that with a lot of hard work and dedication anything is possible. Suzanne BROOME won VAULT!!! While Julie MARXSEN placed 3rd on the same apparatus and Michelle BOXALL placed 4th on FLOOR.
More gymnasts joined throughout 1977. Kerry STEPHAN, Leanne KYLE, Heather GOURLAY, Wanda SMITH, Sharyn MARXEN, Christine and Jacki SLORE.
The 1977 Club Championship winners were:
| Juniors: |
Jennifer BROOME |
| Seniors: | Karen HUDSON |
1978 onwards 