A committed gymnast and a prolific goalscorer from Christie Park Primary School have been named as Active Schools’ Young Sports Stars of the Month for January.
Ria Graham and Josh Miller, both primary seven pupils at the Alexandria school, impressed coaches and teachers with their commitment - despite the challenges presented by the pandemic.
Keen dancer and gymnast Ria trains six days a week for at least three hours per session.
During lockdown, Ria has continued to work on her ballet, tap, modern, lyrical, hip hop cheerleading and gymnastic skills – including mastering the no hands cartwheel.
Ria enjoys taking part in competitions and was due to participate in a dance festival on Broadway, New York, which unfortunately has been cancelled due to the pandemic.
Her commitment to her sport however was highly commended by judges.
Lifelong Partick Thistle fan Josh meanwhile has been playing for the Jags for almost five years, turning down interest from Celtic, Rangers, Motherwell and Hamilton to sign for the club he supports.
Matches have been restricted due to Covid but in the 10 games that have been played, Josh has scored nine goals.
In his first season with the Maryhill side he scored 48 goals and was their top goal scorer, an amazing feat which he has now managed every year since joining the club.
During lockdown, Josh continues to keep fit by running and cycling. In addition to football, he enjoys a range of sports including tennis, rugby, cross-country running and athletics.
He has represented Christie Park at all sports events and festivals for his age group during the past few years and been very successful.
Josh is a great all rounder and, as a member of the Christie Park Sports Committee, tries to encourage others to participate in sport for the benefit of their health and wellbeing.
Active Schools are always looking for more volunteers to help get children in West Dunbartonshire more active, more often.
If you are interested in finding out more, email active.schools@west-dunbarton.gov.uk or visit the Active Schools section on the West Dunbartonshire Council website.
