Lisa Mason

For the science fiction author of the same name, see Lisa Mason (writer).

Lisa Elena Jane Mason (born 26 February 1982 in Aylesbury, England) is a British gymnast who has competed at both the domestic and international level.

Biography

Lisa Mason began training at Huntingdon Gym Club at the age of five.

She has represented her country at 3 European championships and world championships events, Commonwealth Games and Olympic Games. At the 1998 Commonwealth Games she won two Gold medals. She also was the first Brit to make finals in European and world Championships.[1] In Tianjin she earned the highest ever placing in the All-Around for a British Gymnast in the World Championships, also helping Great Britain take the first ever full team to the Olympic Games.

On the domestic scene, she has been a British Gymnastic Champion on three occasions, her first title being won at the age of 14, making her the youngest ever gymnast to win the senior title. Her worst noteworthy injury was when she broke her arm in 1995 at the junior British championships after falling off the uneven bars. During the resulting surgery, she had two plates and twelve bolts inserted in the injury. Six months later, she returned to claim the title of senior British champion. She then defended that title twice consecutively, a first for any gymnast. Lisa was the first British gymnast to ever win Gold at a Grand Prix event. In 1998 she won the Cottbus floor title ahead of Russia's Yelena Produnova and Svetlana Khorkina. She also won medals on the circuit on floor, Beam and Vault events. She was awarded the title of "Master Gymnast" by British Gymnastics.

Lisa is involved in gymnastics as a coach and a choreographer and is also a stunt double and sports model. In January 2013, after 12 years away from the sport, Lisa announced her comeback with her aim being to qualify for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. She will initially only compete on beam and vault but may add in floor and bars at a later date.[2] In March 2013 in her first come back competition and after five months of training, Lisa was crowned English vault champion and finished 4th in the finals at the national British championships. Lisa went on to compete at the English and British championships the following year picking up a collection of medals on vault and floor and finishing top 8 on both beam and bars. Lisa earned her place to trial for the world championships and a deserved place back onto the GB team. Unfortunately things did not pan out that way and Lisa was left off of the worlds team and not selected for the GB squad. The question has been asked why? Hearsay say British gymnastics were ageist and didn't see her as a "good investment" but unless Lisa speaks up I guess we will not know the truth.

Known for her outlandish gymnastics attire, Mason has been called the "mother figure of gymnastics fashion".[3]

References

  1. ↑ "How Being A Single Mum Inspired My Return to World-Class Gymnastics". The Huffington Post UK. Retrieved 27 August 2015.
  2. ↑ http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/gymnastics/21067241
  3. ↑ http://thegymdigest.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/tgds-10-most-innovative-gymnastics.html

External links

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