Taking up the sport at just five years old, Kerry was a gymnast until the age of 17, during which time she reached an elite level.

However, following a car accident, she decided to take up coaching instead and was teaching for a short time in Lismore before coming to Moree to try out the Artesian spa pools one weekend.

Thirty-two years on and and she hasn’t left.

“I came out to Moree to go to the pools and stayed here,” she said.

Since then, Kerry has been teaching the budding gymnasts of Moree the tricks of the trade on and off for the last 32 years.

In that time she has seen many changes to the sport.

“Back then the high score you could get was 10. Now the score is based on skill - the higher the skill, the more points you can get,” she said.

“So many things have also changed names. A backflip is now called a back hand spring and head stands are illegal now in gymnastics.”

When Kerry first started coaching at the PCYC in Moree they had a very competitive team which used to compete all over the state.

“The first time I took Moree girls to state championships, there were four gold medals to be won. Moree won three of them,” she said.

Unfortunately Moree no longer competes as they don’t have the appropriate equipment to host competitions anymore, and it is a huge commitment, however keen gymnasts can compete with the Inverell team.

Having been coaching for more than three decades, Kerry is now teaching many of the kids of former students. Some of her former gymnasts have now come on board as coaches.

“Now that we have the other coaches, I keep saying I can retire now but they keep saying if I give up, they’ll give up,” Kerry joked.

For now, Kerry has no plans to stop coaching anytime soon. In fact, on Monday night she was honoured at the PCYC AGM where she was named the Activity Supervisor of the Year.

“I was shocked,” she said.

When asked what she loves about coaching, Kerry said it’s the satisfaction she gets when her students learn a new skill that she taught them.

“You get just as much satisfaction as the kids,” she said.

“I always say, it’s the one thing I know what I’m talking about.”