Karratha gymnast Charlotte Morley makes history by joining WA State Country Team at Darwin’s Bigham Cup

A young star in Karratha has become the first gymnast from the Pilbara to be selected to join the WA State Country team.

Charlotte Morley, 13, will travel to Darwin to join five other athletes in the Level 7 gymnastics team taking part in the Bigham Cup which runs from September 2-4 at the NT Gymnastics Centre.

The competition is named in honour of Gymnastics South Australia member Anne Bigham and sees gymnasts from across Australia in WAG Levels 6 and 7 compete in both team and individual events..

Charlotte will travel to Darwin and meet her teammates on August 31 before the competition begins on September 2.

The gymnastics star said it was an amazing feeling to have been selected for the State Country team.

“It’s pretty amazing, I never thought I’d make it to States,” she said.

She said she originally did not nominate for the qualifying competition but did so after a coach suggested it.

Her coach Janet Nicholson said Charlotte had worked hard to get to the competition and trained eight hours a week.

“Generally for her level, they do 20 hours. So she was up against girls that do 16 to 20 hours a week because she’s a Level 7,” she said.

“So her scores were still high enough and she had enough places — that that’s why she made the team.”

Charlotte said she was the first gymnast to perform a full twist at a competition.

The full twist sees the gymnast extend their body while flipping upside down before completing a 360 degree rotation.

“The feedback from everyone down there was they couldn’t believe that someone who trains the hours she does, and we don’t have the spring floor, could achieve what she did,” Nicholson said.