Why Swan Academy Is the Best Gymnastics Club in Stevenage
There are gymnastics clubs in Stevenage. Then there is Swan Academy. This is not a marketing claim. It is a statement backed by decades of results, a coaching pedigree that is genuinely world class, and a track record of producing gymnasts who have gone on to compete at the highest levels of the sport -- including the Olympic Games.
If you are looking for the best gymnastics club in Stevenage for your child, this is the honest case for why Swan Academy stands apart.
The Coach Behind the Club
Everything at Swan Academy starts with Svetlana Lebedinskaya.
Svetlana is not a gymnastics teacher. She is not a PE coach who took a weekend course. She is an Olympic-standard gymnast and one of the most experienced and decorated gymnastics coaches in the country, with a career spanning decades and a personal connection to gymnasts who have competed at the very top of the sport internationally.
Before founding Swan Academy, Svetlana was Head Squad Coach at Marriotts Gymnastics Club in Stevenage - the largest gymnastics programme in the town at the time. During her tenure she helped build that programme into what it became, developing gymnasts who went on to represent Hertfordshire, England, Scotland, Great Britain and the world stage. The depth of talent that came through that programme under her guidance was extraordinary, and many of those gymnasts later became the founding coaches of Swan Academy itself.
When Svetlana left to start Swan in 2013, she brought that experience, that standard and that network with her. Swan Academy exists because Svetlana had the vision, the credibility and the connections to build something better.
The Gymnasts Speak for Themselves
The true measure of any gymnastics coach is the athletes they produce. On that measure, Svetlana's record is exceptional. Here are just a few of the gymnasts she has coached.
Tatiana Gorbunova trained under Svetlana as her first coach and went on to become European Champion, World Champion and Olympic Champion in 2008. She trained and performed in Stevenage. That is the level of athlete Svetlana has worked with directly.
Mollie Smith was part of Svetlana's squad at Marriotts, became a 2007 Scottish National Team Member and 2009 Scottish Champion Gold Medalist, competed in English and British Championships multiple times, and was one of the first coaches at Swan Academy when it opened. Her photo can still be seen on the bridge connecting to Stevenage train station -- a permanent mark of what Stevenage gymnastics, under Svetlana's guidance, produced.
Jessica and Jennifer Gadirova are arguably two of the most decorated British gymnasts of their generation. The twins first learned gymnastics under Svetlana's coaching in London earlier in her career, before going on to train at Lynx Gymnastics in Aylesbury - a club Swan Academy has a close relationship with. Between them, Jessica and Jennifer have achieved extraordinary things. Jessica is a 2020 Olympic bronze medallist, 2022 World Champion on floor exercise, 2022 World All-Around bronze medallist, 2023 European All-Around Champion, and three-time European Champion on floor. Jennifer is a 2020 Olympic bronze medallist, 2019 Junior World Championships silver medallist on vault, and a 2022 World silver medallist as part of the Great Britain team. Together they helped Great Britain win their first Olympic gymnastics team medal since 1928. Jessica was named BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year in 2022. The coaching foundations Svetlana gave them in those early years were part of the journey that took them to the top of the sport.
Erika Magpantay trained under Svetlana from the age of 6, became one of the top gymnasts to come out of Hertfordshire, represented Great Britain in English and British Championships, and became one of Swan's founding coaches. Her dedication and passion for the sport continues to inspire gymnasts at Swan to this day.
Cerhys Davis-Jones trained alongside Erika under Svetlana from the age of 6 and formed part of what became known as the Super Squad of Stevenage -- the finest group of gymnasts the town has ever produced. Cerhys excelled on beam and floor, achieved success in nearly every competition she entered including multiple English Championship appearances, and went on to coach at Swan.
Lucy Moxham trained under Svetlana and became a regional and national-level gymnast, known particularly for her exceptional beam work. Her grace and determination set her apart as one of Hertfordshire's finest.
Bethany Suppa trained under Svetlana and became a regional champion multiple times, excelling in floor and vault. She became one of the first coaches and Welfare Officer at Swan and is widely credited as a foundational figure in making Swan what it is today.
Serena Batemen trained under Svetlana, became a regional champion in Hertfordshire, and is now a coach at Swan Academy, passing on the same standards to the next generation.
Sophie Cripps began gymnastics at age 5, became a regional champion under Svetlana's coaching, and now leads sessions at Swan Academy alongside Svetlana herself.
These are not isolated stories. They are a pattern. A coach who produces this level of athlete, consistently, across decades, is operating at a standard that very few clubs anywhere in the country can match.
A Club Built by Champions, Run for Every Child
What makes Swan Academy genuinely special is that this world-class coaching pedigree is not reserved for the elite. It runs through everything the club does.
The same standards that shaped Olympic champions inform how Svetlana coaches a six-year-old in Mini Tots. The same attention to technique, the same understanding of how gymnasts develop, the same high expectations delivered with care and encouragement. Every child at Swan Academy benefits from a coaching environment that has been built on decades of producing excellent gymnasts.
The coaching team Svetlana has assembled around her reflects this too. Serena Batemen and Sophie Cripps are not just coaches. They are former high-level gymnasts trained by Svetlana herself. They understand the sport from the inside. They know what good gymnastics looks like because they have been coached to produce it. That depth of expertise across the coaching team is rare in a club of any size, let alone one based in Stevenage.
International Connections and a Global Reputation
Svetlana's network extends well beyond Stevenage and Hertfordshire. Her background in the USSR gymnastics system, her connections to international coaches, clubs and federations, and her track record of developing gymnasts who have competed on the world stage give Swan Academy access to knowledge, relationships and expertise that most UK gymnastics clubs simply do not have.
This matters because gymnastics at the highest level is a global sport. The best coaching methods, the most advanced technical knowledge, the strongest competition pathways -- they come from coaches who are connected to the sport internationally. Svetlana is one of those coaches. Swan Academy is connected to that world.
The Track Record Since 2013
Swan Academy opened in 2013 and has been growing ever since. In just over a decade, it has established itself as the premier gymnastics club in Stevenage and one of the most respected in Hertfordshire. That reputation has been built on results -- gymnasts who progress, compete, win and develop into the kind of athletes and people that sport at its best produces.
The club is backed by Loughborough University, affiliated with the Independent Gymnastics Association, and operates to the highest safeguarding and coaching standards. Every coach holds minimum Level 1 qualifications, a current DBS certificate and up-to-date safeguarding certification.
Why This Matters for Your Child
You do not need your child to become an Olympic champion. Most parents enrolling their child at Swan Academy are not thinking about world titles. They want their child to be active, to develop confidence, to learn discipline, to make friends and to enjoy the sport.
But the level of coaching your child receives shapes all of those things. A child coached by a world-class coach in a properly structured environment develops faster, builds better foundations and enjoys the sport more than a child in a poorly coached class. The standard of coaching matters regardless of your child's ambitions.
At Swan Academy, your child is coached by people who have dedicated their lives to this sport. People who know what excellent gymnastics looks like because they have produced it. People who care about every child in the room, not just the talented ones.
That is what makes Swan Academy different. And that is why it is the best gymnastics club in Stevenage.
Book a taster session today or contact us at info@swangymnastics.co.uk.
Swan Academy. Nobel School Sports Centre, Mobbsbury Way, Stevenage, SG2 0HS.
That is the strongest credibility piece Swan Academy has. Want me to also do a dedicated Svetlana bio page blog and a separate success stories blog that expands on each gymnast in more detail?
Why Swan Academy Is the Best Gymnastics Club in Stevenage
There are gymnastics clubs in Stevenage. Then there is Swan Academy. This is not a marketing claim. It is a statement backed by decades of results, a coaching pedigree that is genuinely world class, and a track record of producing gymnasts who have gone on to compete at the highest levels of the sport -- including the Olympic Games.
If you are looking for the best gymnastics club in Stevenage for your child, this is the honest case for why Swan Academy stands apart.
The Coach Behind the Club
Everything at Swan Academy starts with Svetlana Lebedinskaya.
Svetlana is not a gymnastics teacher. She is not a PE coach who took a weekend course. She is an Olympic-standard gymnast and one of the most experienced and decorated gymnastics coaches in the country, with a career spanning decades and a personal connection to gymnasts who have competed at the very top of the sport internationally.
Before founding Swan Academy, Svetlana was Head Squad Coach at Marriotts Gymnastics Club in Stevenage - the largest gymnastics programme in the town at the time. During her tenure she helped build that programme into what it became, developing gymnasts who went on to represent Hertfordshire, England, Scotland, Great Britain and the world stage. The depth of talent that came through that programme under her guidance was extraordinary, and many of those gymnasts later became the founding coaches of Swan Academy itself.
When Svetlana left to start Swan in 2013, she brought that experience, that standard and that network with her. Swan Academy exists because Svetlana had the vision, the credibility and the connections to build something better.
The Gymnasts Speak for Themselves
The true measure of any gymnastics coach is the athletes they produce. On that measure, Svetlana's record is exceptional. Here are just a few of the gymnasts she has coached.
Tatiana Gorbunova trained under Svetlana as her first coach and went on to become European Champion, World Champion and Olympic Champion in 2008. She trained and performed in Stevenage. That is the level of athlete Svetlana has worked with directly.
Mollie Smith was part of Svetlana's squad at Marriotts, became a 2007 Scottish National Team Member and 2009 Scottish Champion Gold Medalist, competed in English and British Championships multiple times, and was one of the first coaches at Swan Academy when it opened. Her photo can still be seen on the bridge connecting to Stevenage train station -- a permanent mark of what Stevenage gymnastics, under Svetlana's guidance, produced.
Jessica and Jennifer Gadirova are arguably two of the most decorated British gymnasts of their generation. The twins first learned gymnastics under Svetlana's coaching in London earlier in her career, before going on to train at Lynx Gymnastics in Aylesbury - a club Swan Academy has a close relationship with. Between them, Jessica and Jennifer have achieved extraordinary things. Jessica is a 2020 Olympic bronze medallist, 2022 World Champion on floor exercise, 2022 World All-Around bronze medallist, 2023 European All-Around Champion, and three-time European Champion on floor. Jennifer is a 2020 Olympic bronze medallist, 2019 Junior World Championships silver medallist on vault, and a 2022 World silver medallist as part of the Great Britain team. Together they helped Great Britain win their first Olympic gymnastics team medal since 1928. Jessica was named BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year in 2022. The coaching foundations Svetlana gave them in those early years were part of the journey that took them to the top of the sport.
Erika Magpantay trained under Svetlana from the age of 6, became one of the top gymnasts to come out of Hertfordshire, represented Great Britain in English and British Championships, and became one of Swan's founding coaches. Her dedication and passion for the sport continues to inspire gymnasts at Swan to this day.
Cerhys Davis-Jones trained alongside Erika under Svetlana from the age of 6 and formed part of what became known as the Super Squad of Stevenage -- the finest group of gymnasts the town has ever produced. Cerhys excelled on beam and floor, achieved success in nearly every competition she entered including multiple English Championship appearances, and went on to coach at Swan.
Lucy Moxham trained under Svetlana and became a regional and national-level gymnast, known particularly for her exceptional beam work. Her grace and determination set her apart as one of Hertfordshire's finest.
Bethany Suppa trained under Svetlana and became a regional champion multiple times, excelling in floor and vault. She became one of the first coaches and Welfare Officer at Swan and is widely credited as a foundational figure in making Swan what it is today.
Serena Batemen trained under Svetlana, became a regional champion in Hertfordshire, and is now a coach at Swan Academy, passing on the same standards to the next generation.
Sophie Cripps began gymnastics at age 5, became a regional champion under Svetlana's coaching, and now leads sessions at Swan Academy alongside Svetlana herself.
These are not isolated stories. They are a pattern. A coach who produces this level of athlete, consistently, across decades, is operating at a standard that very few clubs anywhere in the country can match.
A Club Built by Champions, Run for Every Child
What makes Swan Academy genuinely special is that this world-class coaching pedigree is not reserved for the elite. It runs through everything the club does.
The same standards that shaped Olympic champions inform how Svetlana coaches a six-year-old in Mini Tots. The same attention to technique, the same understanding of how gymnasts develop, the same high expectations delivered with care and encouragement. Every child at Swan Academy benefits from a coaching environment that has been built on decades of producing excellent gymnasts.
The coaching team Svetlana has assembled around her reflects this too. Serena Batemen and Sophie Cripps are not just coaches. They are former high-level gymnasts trained by Svetlana herself. They understand the sport from the inside. They know what good gymnastics looks like because they have been coached to produce it. That depth of expertise across the coaching team is rare in a club of any size, let alone one based in Stevenage.
International Connections and a Global Reputation
Svetlana's network extends well beyond Stevenage and Hertfordshire. Her background in the USSR gymnastics system, her connections to international coaches, clubs and federations, and her track record of developing gymnasts who have competed on the world stage give Swan Academy access to knowledge, relationships and expertise that most UK gymnastics clubs simply do not have.
This matters because gymnastics at the highest level is a global sport. The best coaching methods, the most advanced technical knowledge, the strongest competition pathways -- they come from coaches who are connected to the sport internationally. Svetlana is one of those coaches. Swan Academy is connected to that world.
The Track Record Since 2013
Swan Academy opened in 2013 and has been growing ever since. In just over a decade, it has established itself as the premier gymnastics club in Stevenage and one of the most respected in Hertfordshire. That reputation has been built on results -- gymnasts who progress, compete, win and develop into the kind of athletes and people that sport at its best produces.
The club is backed by Loughborough University, affiliated with the Independent Gymnastics Association, and operates to the highest safeguarding and coaching standards. Every coach holds minimum Level 1 qualifications, a current DBS certificate and up-to-date safeguarding certification.
Why This Matters for Your Child
You do not need your child to become an Olympic champion. Most parents enrolling their child at Swan Academy are not thinking about world titles. They want their child to be active, to develop confidence, to learn discipline, to make friends and to enjoy the sport.
But the level of coaching your child receives shapes all of those things. A child coached by a world-class coach in a properly structured environment develops faster, builds better foundations and enjoys the sport more than a child in a poorly coached class. The standard of coaching matters regardless of your child's ambitions.
At Swan Academy, your child is coached by people who have dedicated their lives to this sport. People who know what excellent gymnastics looks like because they have produced it. People who care about every child in the room, not just the talented ones.
That is what makes Swan Academy different. And that is why it is the best gymnastics club in Stevenage.
Book a taster session today or contact us at info@swangymnastics.co.uk.
Swan Academy. Nobel School Sports Centre, Mobbsbury Way, Stevenage, SG2 0HS.
That is the strongest credibility piece Swan Academy has. Want me to also do a dedicated Svetlana bio page blog and a separate success stories blog that expands on each gymnast in more detail?
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Visual Treasure 2026 is coming. A fun, friendly pirate-themed in-house competition for all Swan Academy gymnasts on Sunday 28th June.
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