Olympic twins thank supporters after gym fire

Olympic gymnasts Jessica and Jennifer Gadirova have thanked supporters for donations after a fire devastated the gymnastics club in which they have trained for a decade.

The 21-year-old twins, who are also World and European medallists, said that Lynx Gymnastics Centre in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, had been their home and a vital part of the local community.

Nobody was hurt in the fire that took place on 7 May, but Jessica said their hearts "literally broke" when they saw the damage for the first time.

"There was so much pain, so many tears," she said.

"It's so hard to think it's actually real."

Jennifer added: "It really hits you hard, it's so much shock and disbelief... We're just devastated that has happened to us and our community.

"It's like our home, we've built our careers, and we're just so devastated that it's just gone in a matter of minutes."

The Olympic bronze medallists spoke of how the gym has offered a pathway to elite gymnastics for local people, while also being a place they could have fun.

On their social media pages the duo published a video encouraging fans to donate to an online fundraiser that will continue to allow the gym to operate while the insurance claim is completed.

About £28,000 has been raised since the fundraiser was started the day after the fire.

The twins said clubs from around the world had been in touch to offer their premises to be used for training until repairs can take place.

Jessica said: "We've got competitions coming up and we have to be able to keep training, so having the support really means the world to us.

"There's points where we are scared for the future and how long it's going to take, we know that the gym is going to be rebuilt, but it's how long it would take and how it would affect everyone's careers in gymnastics."

One club, Horsham Gymnastics Centre in West Sussex, donated £1,000 to the fundraiser.

Director Maxine Fuller told the BBC that the donation was made because "we know first hand what a gymnastics club means to its members".

She said: "We also recognise the commitment, dedication and hard work it takes for talented individuals to reach the accolade of National and International performance level, and how important access to a good training facility with a good coaching team is.

"Our donation is a small contribution towards helping the coaches, families and gymnasts recover from this difficult situation."

The twins told the BBC the money raised will be used for the "immediate survival of the gym" and the more donated means further security for those involved with the gym.

In an online statement posted a week after the fire, the club said that "most things are unsalvageable".

Parts of the floor have become unstable and a window from the viewing area has fallen into the middle of the gym.

Despite this, the gym said it was "working hard on a plan for the future of Lynx" and thanked those who had supported it so far.

The Gadirova twins told the BBC their coaches had worked hard to find them other spaces to train in, but it means travelling to unfamiliar sites.

Jennifer added: "We've been at the club for like 10 years now, which is just incredible because obviously when we were younger we bounced around quite a lot.

"Just having that home and security and being there just for a long time, we've built so many friendships, families and it's a part of us now and we're sad to see it gone.

"We just can't wait for it to be rebuilt."

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