Fife teen aims for the Gold Coast

Kirkcaldy’s Emily Bremner (15) has began competing at British senior level this year and now has her eye on joining the Scottish team on the Gold Coast in Australia next year.

Now dad Alex Bremner is reaching out to the local community for financial assistance in helping a Kirkcaldy girl get to the top.

He said: “Emily started off at Balwearie Gymnastics Club aged five and when she was very young she won a pair of Scottish medals. That’s when we realised that she had some potential.

“We moved her from there to Fife and Dunfermline but her coach retired a couple of years ago so we’ve now had to go to Dundee.”

The Balwearie High School pupil makes the 60-mile round trip five days a week, not to mention fitting in her schooling and exams.

Alex said: “She’s now studying for her Highers which will be difficult with everything else that she’s got going on, but as a senior she’ll be competing against girls like Ellie Downie, people who’ve won Olympic gold medals in that category.”

Emily’s achievements are all the more impressive when you consider that she almost had to give up the sport due to a serious injury.

“She had a really serious elbow injury a couple of years ago which almost finished her career. It took her a year to come back from that. But she came through and is back competing at a high level”.

Alex said the financial aspect has hit the family hard over the years, saying: “My wife and I have funded every bit of training, every trip, every session and every trip to Dundee over the last 10 years.

“But if we want her to progress from the level that she’s at, we’re really going to need a bit of financial support.

“In terms of funding, in Fife there’s nothing out there really for kids of her age with that potential. I spend between £4-6000 a year which comes at the expense of summer holidays and trips like most other families go on.”

Alex is hopeful that local businesses may offer to fund some of Emily’s training sessions, but adds: “even if it’s just a Fife resident who wants to see a local girl do well and offers a fiver, that would be appreciated.

“Financially it’s been painful at times but we look at it as an opportunity for Emily that we can’t let pass by.”

If you would like to make a donation please visit the website www.gofundme.com/emilys-commonwealth-gymnastics.