09. November 2009  
Kienbaum, Germany  
Artistic Gymnastics

Ronny Ziesmer opens British training camp in KienbaumIncredible achievements of handicaped gymnasts on the gymnastics apparatuses

Until 20 years and one day ago, it would have been practically impossible for unauthorised peoples or foreigners to set foot onto the terrain of the past  'Sports school of the GDR " in Kienbaum .
Berlins gymnastics president  Frank Ebel reminded of this fact today, during the opening of the I. International Gymnastics Trainings Camp for handicapped sportsmen/women in Germany  , which was organised by the British gymnastics federation and was used by guests from Belgium, Norway and the Netherlands.

<< Germany's ex-gymnast of the national team , Ronny Ziesmer, (Photo: seminar opening) supports the British efforts and concepts, to offer gymnastics as a competition chance also for the handicapped and today opened the seminar in the particular hall, where his devastating accident happened over 5 years ago...

As a good example the 'Branchenmanagement Behindertenfahrzeuge der Daimler AG supports this seminar and has taken over the eintire bus transfer of this seminarweek

The Bundesleistungszentrum Kienbaum offers the British guests modern accomodation and best conditions around the clock

Disability Gymnastics International Training Camp
          - Kienbaum, 8. - 14. November 2009
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Even though the British  already have two years of experience in terms of how one teaches and structures on a national level gymnastics as a competition sports, also for handicapped sportspeople, and even through they have already won international awareness by two previous camps in South Africa and in 2008 in Spain(Gran Canaria) , this is the first trainings camp on German ground and of particular relevance:
If it works to "infect" the biggest gymnastics federation of the world - the German gymnastics federation with its over 5.1 million members and the fascinating structure of about 20.000 clubs and associations, that one can also follow through ambitious training with handicapped gymnasts in the Olympics disciplines which end up in competitions and championships, then new international perspectives will arise:
Even today, there is neither a paralympics nor other "special Olympics" in the oldest Olympics disciplines - gymnastics.

Ronny Ziesmer greets as partner of the British efforts for handicapped sports peoples the delegation and and opened the seminar

Ronny, beeindruckt von der Arbeit 'am Mann'

"Precisely this aspect convinced me to support the British ideas and to internationalise their programmes ", said Ronny Ziesmer as the patron of the action on German ground, "... because exactly because I am sitting in a wheelchair, I know what bodily limits mean and what even the smallest of developments in movement, coordination or strength can mean. And at least as important is the psychological factor, to be able to do something, to be able to do this better, than if one does not do anything. What is more suitable then, than the many sided challenges of gymnastics apparati!"

Apparatus gymnastics, trampoline and rhythmic gymnastics are complex and at the same time so variable, that they offer endless possibilites to suit the many standard levels of the most different of handicaps.
This however requires an ambitious effort!
<< In terms of the German gymnastics father Jahn, who once used the balance beam not far from Kienbaum in der Hasenheide of Berlin (1811) as a means to train balance, the modern balance beam seves the girls with different handicaps (see photo), to build off their deficits through focused training and especially to perform with confidence, to create physical and psychological super potentials.

Age classes and handicapped-just competition forms, form good challenged there. British country championships of handicapped gymnast experiences already exist , which one happily offers the interested national associations.


Of course one needs a high personell input and a sensitive pedagogic and trainings-methodological leadership, in order to follow through differentiated training with the sports people on the many sided competition apparati.

So also the trainers Andy Shard (re.) and Neil Roberts offer their assistance to the 23 year old Lee DAVIDSON during the handstand on the low bar (photo, ri.), who is also a great challenge for most of the "normal"  citizens, nevermind the always more frightening bodily deficits of young people in the modern, excersise-poor daily life!

A special role for the coordinative capabilities comes in, in beso trampoline gymnastics:


For this part of the training camp the Fa. Eurotramp from Weilheim-Teck - whose high tech apparati stood just this week in the trampoline gymnastics European championships in  St. Petersburg -  allowed for the application of trampoline apparati in Kienbaum.

The Berliner "Mr. Trampolin" Uwe Wochnowski (Mitte) from the Lichtenrader Verein, supports here the British coach  Paul Coates at the longen-training with a British sportswoman, who attempted her summersaults.
The avoidance of failures is important for the sensitive trainings process, as well as many achievements, the personal getting over difficulties and the gaining of  coordinative capabilities for the orientation of the room.

... one week intense training stands before the international guests from Great Britain, Belgium, Norway and the Netherlands, who want to optimally use the commended logistic conditions of the German Bundesleistungszentrums Kienbaum.


<< Visitng todays seminar opening, as an extremely interested consultant was the renomated Doctor and Medical Director of the Unfallkrankenhaus ( accident hospital) Berlin. Prof. Dr. med. Walter SCHAFFARTZIK (ri.), who here informed himself in a technical conversation with  Ronny ZIESMER about the many sided possibilities, through the uses of the variations of gymnastics disciplines for focused encouragement of the handicapped.

Still in November 2009 Ronny Ziesmer in cooperation with UKB will inform the participants of the 6. Symposium top-level sports  about the contents and results of this seminar, in the Berliner Paul-Löbe-Haus.
In this week the vice president of the DOSB, Mr. Eberhard GIENGER aswell as the DTB-reference person for the gymnasts and trampoline Mrs. Ann-Katrin KNITTEL will contact and consult the seminar participants in Kienbaum.
* E. Herholz; GYMmedia INTERNATIONAL

** ... see also >> GYMmedia-Trailer report: arrival of the guests