A YOUNG national gymnasts champion has fled the war zone in Ukraine and become a guest in Ashburton.

Katarina Buchonok has been doing the relatively new gymnastic sport of aerial silks for more than three years, and during this time she has won first prizes in Ukrainian and international competitions. However, when the war came it put a stop to her training for six weeks.

The 14-year-old and her mother Olena Prodanyuk are now residing in Ashburton, and happily, from the moment she arrived, she has been able to actively train again. 

She’s been made welcome at the Ashburton Arts Centre which is providing a place for guests to have English lessons… and which by chance has its own set of silks.

Arts centre manager Andy Williamson said: ‘We used to have clases in aerial silks but the teacher has moved on. We had some equipment already, but the Ashburton Hospital League of Friends has just awarded a grant to us to buy some more silks to help Katya to train here at the arts centre. I will be purchasing these imminently.’

The League has also given money to install a router and broadband into the Royal British Legion hut that will be used as a safe meeting space for them.

Katarina said: ‘We want to thank Andy Williamson, for the great opportunity to continue training.’