Hi I am Tom, I have been part of the West Coast Academy family for 9 years! it all started back in 2015 when my mum came home from work and told me that there is a parkour club just up the road from me. I was always a nervous child and didn’t really mix with many people or do many clubs as I could never find something that I enjoyed or fit into well. So I went to my first session and this was the first time I had heard of parkour and I fell in love immediately! I started off with Coach Hayley who introduced me to everything in the gym and taught me everything I know how to do now!

After a year of working on my skills, improving my confidence and getting to know everybody, I saw a post on Instagram of the assistant coaching programme, and I knew that I had to see if I could become one. I enquired about the programme and managed to get in, this was the start of my coaching journey. I started off assisting level 1 classes helping the young ones how to roll, balance and climb it was amazing watching them progress through the classes. I continued working my way through as an assistant coach, eventually working with other coaches, helping with parties and events such as the Christmas and Halloween parties as well as working in other classes as well as parkour.

The next step was becoming a coach, and taking my own classes. As my confidence grew, I started to step away from assisting and getting more control of classes and working with Coach Hayley to eventually have my own classes! But before I could do this, I had to get some qualifications. Throughout my time at the academy I have achieved my level 1 and 2 cheerleading and tumble qualification through BGU, a NSPCC safeguarding qualification and my first aid qualification. Once I gained the qualifications I needed I got my first classes, i was over the moon! The feeling of seeing the athletes develop through your own coaching makes my heart melt. As well as this, being able to coach alongside past athletes I used to teach that have now become assistant coaches themselves! Working at WCA hasn’t just given me confidence, independence and leadership skills, it has also driven me in the direction of my future career. In college I have gained a BTECH Diploma in Sport and Exercise Science, and I am now in my final year of my sports therapy foundation degree.

Here is to 10 years with the West Coast Academy family and theres many more to follow