Australian gymnastics identities get international recognition

Gymnastics Clubs Australia’s Chief Executive Ross Gage and co-founding Director John Mitchell have been presented with awards recognising their career achievements by the International Association of Child Development Programs (IACDP).

Presented during the Association's inaugural Awards Gala in Puerto Rico last week, Gage was presented with the IACDP’s top recognition - the Lifetime Achievement Award.

In announcing the Award recipient of the evening, IACDP co-founder and Chief Executive, Frank Sahlein, stated that Gage had "formalised swim schools into an industry in Australia, with positive influences into many areas of the world" and had "recently used his skills to bring about other much-needed industry bodies".

Sahlein listed Gage’s achievements as including:

• Establishing own swim school in 1983 and operated for 30 years

• Establishing the learn to swim segment of the annual conference of the Australian Swim Coaches Association (ASCA) in 1993

• Driving the ASCA to become ASCTA; ie, with the addition of 'Teachers'

• Establishing Swim Australia in 1998 - the first industry body for swim schools in Australia

• Directing the successful 2005 campaign to have no GST on 'swimming lessons' in Australia

• Overseeing the establishment of ASCTA's Swim Australia Teacher Accreditation program - providing the industry with options

• Establishing the Australian Swim Schools Association and Australian Swim Schools Hall of Fame in 2016

• Being inducted into the US Swim Schools Hall of Fame in 2017

• Helping establish Gymnastics Clubs Australia (GCA) in 2020

• Co-founding the Australian Children's Activities Association in 2021

• Convening over 30 national and international conferences around Australia and in Fiji, Thailand and Singapore.

IACDP also presented Mitchell with an Outstanding Achievement award.

The presentation outlined that Mitchell, through developing his club Delta Gymnastics to be an Australian show piece, positively challenged the sport and industry to be the best they can be which has resulted in many following his lead to new heights of excellence.

In all, IACDP recognised five Outstanding Achievements, inducted four into their Hall of Fame, and with the one Lifetime Achievement. Award recipients came from the fields of swimming, dance, gymnastics, ninja, cheerleading, multi-activities, charity and media.

Image: Ross Gage and John Mitchell at last week's International Association of Child Development Programs' (IACDP) inaugural Awards Gala in Puerto Rico.