Meagan Silvers – who was crowned Gymnastics Victoria’s 2014 Female Gymnast of the Year for the second year running at the weekend – officially joined the club’s coaching roster a fortnight ago.

Head coach Lynette Morrow said the club was thrilled to secure an athlete of Silvers’ calibre.

‘‘Meagan was Australia’s National Level 10 All Around Champion in 2013 and 2014 and was state level 10 champion in 2014,’’ she said.

‘‘She is a great mentor for the club and has generated a lot of buzz.

‘‘Her experience and knowledge is fantastic and she is a real inspiration for the kids – this is a great opportunity for us.’’

Silvers is an artistic gymnast at the highest level of the national stream.

She competes in floor, vault, uneven bars and beam.

Morrow said Silvers was coaching a squad team of national level four and five gymnasts.

‘‘She is also helping out some of the senior boys,’’ she said.

‘‘She has taken an interest in the young kids as well, which is really good.

‘‘She is very down to earth and is happy to talk to everyone and have photos with the kids. It’s been great.’’

Silvers relocated to the Wimmera from Melbourne two weeks ago.

‘‘I came up here for teaching rounds two years ago. I was preparing to go to New Zealand at the time and I couldn’t afford to go two weeks without training,’’ she said.

‘‘I trained in the backyard the first week and then went out to the Natimuk gym in the second week. I’ve been coming back to visit ever since.’’

Silvers said she was surprised at the quality of the gym, despite its remote location.

‘‘It’s significantly better than I thought it would be,’’ she said.

‘‘It’s a great little club.’’

Silvers said she felt welcome from the start.

‘‘It is nice to be part of a club, rather than just being another person in a gym,’’ she said.

‘‘I’ve become more passionate about the sport and giving back to it after coming to Nati.

‘‘I feel as if you are accepted for who you are rather than what you can do.’’

Silvers started gymnastics classes at the age of seven, joining the Bentleigh-McKinnon Gym Club.

‘‘My friend taught me to do a cartwheel on the grass at school. All of my friends were doing it and my mum thought she would sign me up too,’’ she said.

Within six months she had moved on to the Victorian Institute of Gymnastics.

‘‘I was told to move to the institute because they didn’t think I’d reach ‘Olympic potential’ at the club,’’ she said.

Silvers also changed schools to the Methodist Ladies College in Kew, which has a renowned artistic gymnastics program.

‘‘It was one of the best moves I ever made,’’ she said.

Along with a long list of Australian accolades, Silvers has competed in the United States twice and represented Australia in New Zealand in 2013.

She has turned to coaching while recovering from ankle surgery.

Silvers said she had not considered coaching as a career.

‘‘Being able to do it part-time here is great,’’ she said.

‘‘In Melbourne, a lot of people want full-time coaches, which means I wouldn’t be able to do primary school teaching, and that is still something I want to pursue.’’

Silvers said coaching allowed her to be involved in gymnastics, without putting in the gruelling training hours required to be at the top of her game.

‘‘I was training up to 20 hours a week, on top of school or university,’’ she said.

‘‘It’s a juggling act. But because I’ve been doing it for so many years I don’t know any different.

‘‘Now I have an opportunity to try some new things and get out there and meet some new people.’’

Silvers is undecided about the remainder of her gymnastics career.

She said setting herself for the Olympics was the next progression at her level.

‘‘That’s if I wanted to do all the extra training on top of what I already do,’’ she said.

‘‘I’m 25, but in gymnastics years I’m about 90.

‘‘I’m happy to get to the level I’m at and stay there.’’

Silvers said she would base herself in the Wimmera for at least six months.

‘‘Hopefully I’ll be here longer,’’ she said.

‘‘I finished uni at the end of last year and now I’m working out what I want to do for this year.

‘‘I decided to give moving a go. It was a bit nerve-racking, but exciting. I’m really enjoying it here.’’

Silvers is humble about her success, but said it was nice the Natimuk gymnasts took an interest in her career.

She said the weekend’s award came as a surprise.

‘‘It is nice to be awarded for all the hard work and effort you put in,’’ she said.

‘‘Sometimes you feel as if you are only rewarded for your results.

‘‘Gymnastics is not an easy sport that just requires a couple of skills. It is a constant challenge and there is always something new to learn – but I love it.’’