The Romont gym company is celebrating its 160th anniversary in 2024. Several events were organized during the year. The last one takes place between this Thursday and Saturday at Bicubic. This is a gym evening involving 250 gymnasts, which will combine music, theater, dance and obviously gymnastics. How is this event unusual?
Nicolas Lehner: Usually, we hold our gym evening in a smaller performance hall. This year, we are moving into a triple room. The larger surface area will allow us to mix groups. The show, entitled “Color Game”, revolves around colors, generations and gymnastic disciplines. This mixture makes the result extraordinary.
Participants must step out of their comfort zone a little.
Yes of course. Some older people do choreography. Others try gymnastics even though they are not necessarily used to it. There will also be a group dedicated to parallel bars, of which I am a part, made up of former gymnasts. As we must make these efforts, we ask for a little indulgence from the public.
The Romont gym society was created in 1864. To imagine that there were already gymnasts in Romont at that time seems completely incredible.
Nicolas Lenner (President of Romand Gym):
Yes. It wasn’t exactly the same gymnastics as today. There were already groups that had formed. But in Bulle and Fribourg, there was also a movement. These three companies are also the founders of the Friborg Gymnastics Federation which is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year.
In Romont, all age groups coexist.
Younger children can start at 2 years old, as part of the parent-child course. But on the contrary, people aged 80 and over are still part of society and they still practice. These are not passive members that we never see. They come to the gym every week to exercise. We even have, in our volleyball group, people over 80 who come to play every week. They no longer play matches, but they still come to train with great pleasure.
You sometimes even have to refuse people, especially for the apparatus. Too many girls want to try it.
Yes, unfortunately. We would like to welcome more, but for reasons of instructors and infrastructure, we have to limit the groups. Every spring, people have to register, but we actually have to turn people away.
On the other hand, for boys, it is more complicated. Often, as they grow up, they move on to other pursuits.
Yes, exactly. The challenge is precisely there. When they are little, the gym attracts them. But as soon as they reach adolescence, they discover other activities, such as football or hockey, which are practiced in Romont. Even if we haven’t found the miracle formula, we try to keep these boys, because they are also potential volunteers for later. The door is open.
Listen to the full interview with Nicolas Lehner:
RadioFr. – Isabelle Taylor
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