HUNDREDS of calisthenics competitors will converge on the city at the weekend when Horsham Calisthenics College hosts its annual competition.
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The three-day competition will start on Friday and finish on Sunday at the Horsham Town Hall. College principal coach Kylie Hermans said about 350 competitors and their families would travel from throughout regional Victoria to Horsham.
“We have teams coming from places like Bendigo, Mildura, Warrnambool and Mt Gambier to complete,” she said.
Mrs Hermans said Wimmera residents often did not realise the boost the competition gave the economy.
“People stay in the region for the entire weekend,” she said. “So that means they spend money on accommodation, food and petrol.”
The college’s sub-junior, junior, and intermediate teams will take to the state, along with more than 150 soloists from across the state.
The college's tinies students will also perform.
Mrs Hermans said the annual competition was always an exciting time for the tines in particular because it was their first time on stage. The students, aged four to six, will perform their routines on Saturday.
“For most of them, it is their first time ever performing in front of an audience,” Mrs Hermans said.
She said competition preparations were coming together and parents and older students would volunteer their time throughout the weekend.
“A lot of work goes into running a competition of this size and we are very lucky to have so many dedicated volunteers at our club,” she said. “Parents have put their hands up to help with everything from running the canteen to ushering and organising the dressing rooms.”
The competition is also a fundraiser for the college.