In the last edition of Local Life, we shared part 1 our AVBOB Forum of Community Journalists (FCJ) Excellence Awards (mis)adventure. If you missed it click here

…And so, Taylum was washing her face with dishwashing liquid and cold water from the 5-litre water bottle that Valentino had provided. I was both impressed with her ingenuity, and depressed that this was our lot in life. With no luck at falling asleep for my seven-minute nap, I messaged Valentino (who was still in his bedroom) to ask for towels and soap, and then retreated to the balcony to enjoy the sun. 

There was a little patio table and two chairs, and if I was still in any doubt about whether Valentino would be staying with us, this was quickly laid to rest by the sight of three pairs of wet sneakers with laces removed and tongues folded out, drying on the patio table. At that moment Valentino appeared, removed the sneakers and handed me a hand towel and a bar of soap. I thanked him and sat down on one of the patio chairs. Valentino retreated indoors with the wet sneakers.

It was then that I noticed that the bedroom adjacent to the patio had black bags covering all the windows. I felt a twinge of concern, but I had little time to imagine the possible sinister reasons for this as my stomach was making loud grumbling sounds. The delicious smell of curry that was coming from the kitchen upon our arrival had clearly not been a welcome meal. 

I returned to the bedroom, sat down on the bed and munched on the lone can of Pringles. Taylum was struggling with her glue-on nails which had insisted on falling off since we left Cape Town International Airport. At least every two hours since our Cape Town departure, a nail had fallen off, never the same one, and Taylum had been glueing them back on furiously, mostly resulting in her sticking her fingers together. We did however enjoy a brief moment of jubilation as water returned to the taps in Sandton.

A short while later we were ready to set off for our wonderful evening and an Uber driver arrived to collect us. The security guard at the complex gave us an approving look and we hopped into the car. Just 38 seconds later, the GPS announced that we had arrived at our destination. Our driver laughed and charged us R60. 

We entered the front doors of the @Sandton Hotel at the same time as two evening-gown-clad women. I looked down at my outfit – black pants, a thrifted blouse and black biker-type boots with an aggressive tread (I got stuck somewhere in 90s fashion and never escaped). I glanced at Taylum and once out of earshot of the women I said, "I hope they're not attending the awards". But of course they were, as were all the other evening-gown-clad women, the evening-gown-clad solo violinist, and the men in suits. 

Tables of enticing canapés were laid out as well as big ice buckets with wine, beer, and spirit coolers. We settled on spirit coolers, conscious of our empty stomachs. A quick bathroom stop and we were all ushered into the ballroom. 

At each place setting was a gift – a stunning wooden wine box containing a bottle of wine and wine accessories. A programme of the evening's events, including the menu, lay on the table. We realised our error as we read that the starters were in fact the canapés that were in the foyer, now inaccessible. The effects of half a spirit cooler on an empty stomach had now become apparent, but thankfully the table held a wooden board laden with bread, one slice for each of the eight people at the table. 

The evening's introductions and thank yous began. I sat fully focused, using my peripheral vision to determine if any of the guests at our table had helped themselves to bread. I definitely didn't want to be the first to do so. After about 15 minutes I was becoming desperate and decided that if I could spot a single person in the entire room eating bread then that would be my 'Go!' signal. I spotted one woman who was having a nibble. I nudged Taylum, "Pass the bread and the butter please". 

By the time I had gleefully finished a fourth slice of bread, I was feeling much better. "Sorry, we haven't eaten today", Taylum awkwardly whispered to the now sans-bread guests at our table. 

At this point I could tell you more about the gala evening, about how it was my first time at such an elaborate event, and how I took in every magical moment (and took in every mouthwatering morsel of food). But this story is about our misadventure, so let me continue. 

The emcee had read out the winners in two categories that we were finalists in, and sadly, we didn't place in the top three. Just two more categories remained and we sat with bated breath and listened as she announced the winners. My first instinct when our names were again not called was the same as Taylum's. "We've wasted everyone's money", she said. I agreed, thinking about all the people who made it possible for us to attend the awards. We were glum to say the least. I retreated to the cigar lounge while Taylum remained at the table. 

I sent her a message:

“What time do we need to leave tomorrow for our return flight?”

“07:30 sounds safe”.

“That's 2 hours early, We are going to end up waiting at the airport for 1.5 hrs”.

“I'd rather be early. We can eat something”.

“I think if we leave at 08:00 that will be fine. I'm very tired”.

I walked back to where Taylum was seated. “Oh good”, she said sarcastically, “Now we can argue in person.”

Our guilt-ridden mood was clearly still lingering and we decided to call it a night at 22:00. We got back to our accommodation, dejected and cold, and knocked on the door. Silence. We waited for a considerate period of time before knocking again, conscious of the fact that we would be disturbing our hosts’ slumber, and eventually we heard keys jangling. We listened to what sounded like lock after lock being opened. “How unsafe is this area?” Taylum asked worriedly. The door opened and Valentino’s girlfriend stood there with a big smile and a ring full of keys reminiscent of a bunch of prison keys. We thanked her and turned to close the door behind us, observing that the door only had a single lock.

Taylum and I had little to say to each other, both exhausted. I got changed and pulled my sweater’s hood over my head. Taylum wrapped her jacket around my feet to keep them warm and I fell asleep almost instantly. She stayed up a while longer and pulled off the remaining glue-on nails that had survived the evening. Morning came too soon and yet not soon enough. Taylum looked utterly exhausted. “You talk in your sleep”, she said. “Oh”, I exclaimed, “what did I say?” 

“I don’t know”, she replied and proceeded to tell me what an awful person I was to sleep next to. In my defence, it was Taylum that had decided on the head-to-toe sleeping arrangement, so I did not feel particularly guilty as she told me how I had thrashed around, almost kicked her in the head, and then violently ejected her jacket onto the floor. A hot, morning shower held absolutely no appeal, we just wanted to go home. 

Cramming our things back into our carry-on bags we were faced with a new dilemma in the form of the two wooden wine boxes which we had been gifted at the awards. There was absolutely no way that they would fit in our carry-on bags, and to be fair to airport security, a corkscrew did rather qualify as a sharp object. “Maybe they will just let us hold them on the plane”, Taylum said. This seemed like a plausible idea and one definitely worth exploring, but as we looked at the boxes, something became very apparent – the burnt-in logo on the wooden lids. The FCJ Awards are sponsored by AVBOB. 

We imagined boarding the plane, while fellow passengers attempted to disguise their discomfort as not one, but two wooden AVBOB boxes joined them on the flight. I would be lying if I said we weren’t just a little tempted, but instead, being responsible adults, we gifted one to our host and the other to the Uber driver who dropped us near the Gautrain station at 07:20.

It was a quiet Saturday morning and the roads that had been chaotically busy the day before were bare. Taylum stopped to take a photo. “It’s actually quite beautiful”, she said. “You’re overtired”, I replied. We walked the short distance to the escalators, and at varying speeds descended back into the pits of Sandton.

Read the final part of our misadventure in the 10 September edition of Local Life.

On Saturday 17 August, the highly anticipated Clash of the Chefs took place at the Hermanus Golf Club. Joan-Anne Harris of Southern Stroll Marketing hosted the event which was held to raise funds for four local charities, namely the Hermanus Animal Welfare Society, TS Birkenhead Sea Cadets, Pebbles Project, and the Recycle Swop Shop.

A ticket to the event, which was emceed by renowned celebrity chef Jenny Morris (also known as The Giggling Gourmet), included a three-course meal prepared by the nine participating chefs: Oelof Vorster and Wesley Abrahams of The Marine Hotel, Charlene Hendrikse of Stir it Up Catering, Percy Chidakwa of Pear Tree, Anton Verhoogt of Fisherman's Cottage, Johan Lamprecht of BROOD, and Eleanor Coetzee, Amber Ambrose, and Jodie Glasgow of Creation Wines.

The event started shortly before noon and guests were greeted with a glass of wine from Creation before finding their seats. Everyone was then served an assortment of canapés made by the team from Creation Wines who had started preparations at 5am that morning. The canapés included grilled artichoke sushi and an Ahatata soup with sesame crisp.

This was followed by the main course – a feast of different flavours and textures with dishes such as smoked carrot risotto, a root vegetable gnocchi, Malay-flavoured linefish, braised beef, and a sunday roast complete with Yorkshire pudding.

Jenny’s quirky humour had all the guests laughing and set the tone for the competition which saw six of the chefs face off against each other in pairs (Oelof and Percy, Johan and Wesley, and Anton and Charlene). Jenny, Kevin Warwick (chef and owner of Warwick’s Chef School), and seasoned auctioneer André du Toit acted as judges. Each team was given a mystery basket and the countdown timer started.

Guests watched as the chefs expertly peeled, chopped, and combined ingredients to produce mouthwatering dishes, each strikingly plated and then presented to the judges in less than an hour. After much tasting, concentration and deliberation, the judges chose the duo of Anton and Charlene as the winners.

An auction followed while guests enjoyed a decadent dessert of hazelnut Eton mess, caramelised banana, and peppermint crisp truffles. Among the auction items were a Moroccan dinner for 10 people prepared by Chef Jenny Morris and Oelof Vorster, head chef at The Marine Hotel, and a two nights’ stay at The Marine Hotel and Spa Hermanus. There is also an online auction for two artworks by South African artist Richard Scott which ends on 30 August, after which the total funds raised for the local charities will be announced.

Clash of the Chefs was made possible with the support of numerous sponsors: Ataraxia Wines, Beyerskloof, Bouchard Finlayson, BROOD, Char'd Grill & Wine Bar, Core Catering Supplies, Creation Wines, Fisherman’s Cottage, Function Hire, Graham Beck Bubbly, Hamilton Russell Vineyards, Hermanus Tourism Bureau, Le Marchand, The Liz McGrath Collection, Lize Van der Walt, Local Life, The Marine Hotel and Spa Hermanus, Milk on the Beach, Misty Waves Boutique Hotel, Newton Johnson Family Vineyards, Nulaid, I Love Onrus Deli, The Franschhoek Shop, Packtown Food & Packaging Suppliers, Pear Tree, Raka Wine, Richard Scott Art, Shelley Taylor Bespoke Jewellery, Tessies Genuine Mineral Water, Two Chefs, Valley Farmstall, Van Blommestein Butchery, Villiera Wines, Warwick's Chef School, The Waterfront Duck Co., and Whale Coast Fisheries. 

The official launch of Hermanus: A Photographic History by long standing Hermanus residents and lifelong friends Michael Clark, Jack van Dyk, and Dinkie Marais was held by U3A and the Friends of the Old Harbour Museum (FOHM) on 16 August at the Whale House Museum. 

The idea for a book featuring a photographic history of Hermanus came in early 2023 when Dinkie presented a slide show of some historic photographs to the Hermanus History Society.

After months of hard work and advice along the way, Michael, Jack, and Dinkie, with no experience in publishing, have created a stunning coffee table book that shows the development of Hermanus from 1855 to 1955.

An excerpt from the book reads as follows:

Many beautiful and colourful books of the world-renowned town of Hermanus have been published over the years – books worthy of the town’s unsurpassed beauty and splendour. While those books are aimed at promoting Hermanus as a tourist destination, this new book distinguishes itself from the others in that its objective is primarily to record and preserve the historical events that led to the establishment of the town. The development of the town is illustrated with more than 300 photographs dating back to the 1860s, not long after the Henn clan of fishermen had moved here from Herriesbaai as pioneers.

The book was published by local resident Helga Steyn of Hemel & See Boeke, who was recommended to the three authors by local author and knowledgeable bibliophile John Morris of The Book Cottage.

The initial print run of Hermanus: A Photographic History was limited, but the authors are happy to announce that more copies have been printed and are available to purchase at the Old Harbour Museum, The Book Cottage, and Hermanus Factory Shop. 

Proceeds from the book will go towards improving, restoring, and maintaining the museum and its immediate surrounding historical areas. You can further support the museum by becoming a Friend of the Old Harbour Museum (FOHM) for R100 a year, which will get you free access to museums in Hermanus, as well as updates and news on current and future FOHM projects – all while helping to preserve the history of Hermanus.

To learn more about the Hermanus History Society visit www.hermanus-history-society.co.za, and to become a FOHM member, visit the Old Harbour Museum or call 028 312 1475.

Aqunion, one of the world's leading abalone farming businesses based in the Overstrand, has recently increased its reliance on renewable energy from 10% to 30%, with plans to reach 50% in the future. This has been made possible thanks to an innovative and tailor-made solar solution implemented by Sustainable Power Solutions (SPS) to suit Aqunion's needs. 

“Our operations require a constant and reliable power supply to maintain the best conditions for our high-value abalone,” explains Rowan Yearsley, CEO of Aqunion. 

Construction of the abalone farm's new solar system began in November 2023 and is currently in the testing and commissioning phase. The installation of the solar panels, strategically placed over existing abalone tanks, required custom engineering to withstand the corrosive environment close to salt water. 

The rest of the new setup includes a battery-based energy storage system designed to deliver up to four hours of backup power and a solar array capable of supplying about 22% of Aqunion's required annual energy. “This solution not only helps Aqunion during peak operational times, but significantly reduces their reliance on diesel generators, reducing the associated emissions,” says Charles Neethling, Business Development Manager at SPS.

The new system also allows for a quick switchover (less than 1 second) if anything happens to the farm's main energy supply, preventing the pumps from registering an outage and switching off, which could be detrimental to the abalone.

Aqunion's history dates back to 1994 when the first farm was established by André du Plessis – one of the pioneers of abalone farming in South Africa. As a trained marine biologist, André had two decades of aquaculture experience, including growing cultured mussels and oysters. He had also travelled extensively in order to increase his knowledge on the subject of abalone farming, gaining invaluable experience from existing operations worldwide.

The TerraSan Group shared André’s vision of this potentially budding industry during a time when abalone was in decline due to overfishing. With the group's funding, André finally realised a lifelong dream: to develop his own fish farming business. Living in a caravan on the site, he spent the first few years doing research, perfecting his farming methods and building the business from the ground up. And so, Aquafarm Development was born – one of the very first abalone farms in Southern Africa.

Now, twenty years later, Aqunion's abalone is still reared with as little interference as possible with farming methods that are completely natural. The animals are not given any growth hormones, antibiotics or other chemicals, and Aqunion goes the extra mile to ensure that they provide the abalone with the best possible environment to grow: sufficient space, water supply, feed, and a clean and hygienic environment. To learn more visit www.aqunion.com.

The Overstrand has a new baker! Ashleigh du Preez and her family moved from Johannesburg four months ago, bringing her business, Candy Carousel Cookie Creations, with her. 

Ashleigh and her husband knew that they wanted to move to the Western Cape and put their Johannesburg house on the market, never expecting an imminent relocation. But three weeks later they found the perfect rental house in Kleinmond – an area that they had never heard of before – and along with their two young daughters and two schnauzers they settled into their new home. 

It is in their large kitchen (which Ashleigh concedes was the deciding factor when choosing a home), that her incredible cookie creations take place. The cookies are baked by Ashleigh from scratch using only the best ingredients, and are lovingly hand decorated with royal icing. Flavours include vanilla caramel, salted caramel, and vanilla almond. When making cookies for children, Ashleigh likes to add a hint of bubblegum flavour.

It was during a class presented by The Biscuit Studio that Ashleigh realised that she had found her passion. In university she had studied Human Movement Sciences and followed that with an eight-year career as a preschool teacher, but with her natural affinity for arts and crafts, creating cookies was a perfect fit. 

The very first cookie she made was a Paw Patrol character and while she still receives many orders for these popular animated characters, Ashleigh’s designs now also feature breathtaking, scenic landscapes, sea creatures, and hand-painted wildlife and marine life.

Ashleigh says that nothing makes her happier than being part of someone's story. Whether it's cookies baked for a gender reveal party, a wedding, or to commemorate a special occasion, the privilege of helping to make occasions memorable through her cookies fuels her love for baking even more. 

Leaving Johannesburg naturally had an impact on Ashleigh’s business, but her large corporate clients remained loyal and she oftentimes finds herself filling orders of 500 to 800 cookies which she manages to complete in roughly four days. She also supplies local eateries and is quickly rebuilding her brand in the Overstrand. 

After more than two years of making cookies, Ashleigh’s husband and their daughters (aged 3 and 6), are “all cookied out”, having eaten more than their fair share when Candy Carousel Cookie Creations first started. Occasionally the girls still enjoy decorating and making “volcanoes” – floods of icing that run off the cookies.

Ashleigh says that she loves nothing more than a challenge and each order that tests her creative ability is an excellent learning opportunity. It is clear by the cookies that she has created that no challenge has been too big for Ashleigh yet.

To find out more or to place an order, WhatsApp Ashleigh on 072 598 3744. Orders must be booked at least two weeks in advance. 

To see more of Ashleigh’s creations, visit her Facebook page.

A noble act of selflessness 

There are few people in the world who have the patience to educate or care for children. Working with youngsters can be demanding and challenging, and teachers or caretakers must navigate the diverse needs, personalities, and learning styles of each child, all while maintaining a calm and supportive demeanour. 

One of these rare people with a commitment to children is Asanda Kholisile in Zwelihle.

Asanda grew up in Port Elizabeth and discovered her passion for working with children at a very young age. While she was in primary school, Asanda would visit the pre-primary school in the afternoons and help with the children there.   

After matriculating, Asanda moved to Hermanus to find work and instantly fell in love with the area. She moved here permanently and in 2020, decided to go back to school. She graduated in Travelling and Tourism from Boland College, completing her course in 2022 and returning to Zwelihle.

It was in 2022 that Asanda started to become increasingly concerned about the number of young children who were wandering the streets at night and “doing naughty things” when they should have been sleeping. To keep them occupied after school and during the holidays while their parents were at work, Asanda started inviting the children to her home where she would teach them church songs and scriptures.

Soon thereafter, Asanda also noticed that many of the children were not doing their homework. “I could hear their parents in the morning before school, asking their children why their homework wasn’t done,” says Asanda, “Many of the parents work long or late shifts and are unable to check these things.” 

So, in February 2023, Asanda started an aftercare from her home, to help local children with their schoolwork. She also began to feed those who were attending the aftercare so that their hunger didn’t distract them from learning. All the stationery and food so far has come from her own pocket, except on the rare occasions where Soraya Pieterse from Mama Soraya’s Soup Kitchen can spare some food.

Asanda’s aftercare has grown quickly, and she now has 22 regular learners that she helps from Monday to Thursday 3pm to 5pm, plus a few others who do not attend every day. Thanks to some help from the community, she is now operating out of a slightly bigger space than her home, which has allowed her to take on and help more children. 

“I am grateful for the space that we have been allowed to use for free, but I cannot leave up posters or other educational items,” says Asanda, “It is a community space, so I have to take everything with me again when aftercare is over for the day. I am looking for a more permanent place in Zwelihle which I can transform into a proper learning space… somewhere central so that my learners can still walk to me after school. If we have a permanent space then we can also do weekend camps which would help those children who stay in possibly violent homes due to alcohol.”

Asanda has become a pillar of strength for her aftercare learners, who often approach her to talk about their home or school life. “I always keep an eye on the children to see how they are doing,” she says, “Some of these children are being bullied at school and the bullying continues at home. They get called stupid by their peers and even their parents. I want my aftercare to be a safe space where they can not only learn, but grow their confidence and most importantly be happy!” 

Asanda says that the biggest problem she has noticed at the aftercare is that the children do not always understand the questions that are being asked in the homework. She explains that the schools teach in both the learners’ home language and in English, and when the questions are in English, some of the learners struggle.

“Once you translate the question into their own language, then the children have no problem doing their homework. So we are focusing on English at aftercare as well. They greet in English when they arrive and we rotate between speaking Xhosa and speaking English each day.” 

Asanda has big dreams for the learners at her aftercare. “The children are unsure of what they want to do with their future, so I try to educate them on possible careers,” says Asanda, “I also try to expose them to new things. I want to take them to the library and show them around the Hermanus CBD next. Many of the children just go to school and back and haven’t even seen Hermanus.”

Asanda doesn’t earn a cent from her aftercare and makes a living by working night shifts as a caretaker for the elderly. She was originally working the day shift, but changed it to nights so that she could be with the children during the day. She uses the money she makes from her job as a caretaker to support her family in Port Elizabeth and to buy food for the children at the aftercare. 

Asanda’s selflessness has provided children in her area with a warm and supportive environment where they can learn, play, and grow. If you can assist with food, stationery, or school shoe donations to help with the continued success of the aftercare, please contact Asanda on 071 730 5085 or at asandakholisile@gmail.com. She is also looking for new experiences/outings to take the children on, so please reach out to her if you can help or if you have any suggestions.

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” – Nelson Mandela

Over the last ten years, the population of Hermanus has seen a steady increase in younger people, changing what used to be a retirement town into a bustling hub of activity. New schools have been built and new businesses established as more and more young families move to the area, which was in part, thanks to an increase in remote working after the pandemic. 

But unless you are the parent of a school going child, how do you meet others your age in a generation that is more focused on social media than face-to-face socialising?

Sarah Ashley, founder of Hermanus Young Adults or HYA (pronounced 'hiya'), has come up with a brilliant solution. 

Sarah was born in South Africa and moved to the UK with her family at the age of 15. She spent 11 years there and stayed on when her parents moved to Kleinmond in 2022, before spending some time in New Zealand. 

It was while in New Zealand that Sarah realised how much she missed her friends and the support of her family. Deciding to move back to South Africa, Sarah joined her parents in Kleinmond in September 2023, happy to be with her family once more and eager to make a fresh start. 

Three months later, after struggling to connect with people her age in Kleinmond, Sarah had the idea of starting a social club for young adults which she launched in May 2024. "I figured there must be others in the same boat as me, so I decided to do something about it." she says.

Although the name of the club is Hermanus Young Adults, the group is open to anyone between 20 and 37 years old, and people have come from as far as Stellenbosch and Cape Town to attend HYA events.

HYA organises and takes part in a number of local events and activities such as hikes, local quiz nights, day trips to markets, morning runs, lunches, movie nights, and more. So, no matter what you enjoy doing, there is an activity for you. Apart from being a social group, the gatherings are also great networking opportunities.

"Our current members are all different ages from a variety backgrounds," says Sarah, "Lots of us work from home and are isolated a lot, but that's where HYA comes in. It provides a safe space where people can meet and find common ground."

For the future of HYA, Sarah hopes to create a kind of "passport" which members will be able to use to get discounts or certain perks at local businesses. This will benefit not only the members, but the businesses as well, as the HYA group brings in more feet and members from outside the Overstrand. 

Sarah is also working on getting HYA more involved in the community. "HYA has changed my life and has had a positive impact on our members’ lives. Now we want to give back and help the less fortunate in our community," she says, "You don't know what your small gesture could mean to someone else." 

Follow Hermanus Young Adults on Facebook and Instagram for photos, updates, and events. To join the HYA WhatsApp group, click on the chat link on either social media platform. If you are a local business that would like to collaborate with HYA, please contact Sarah on 063 146 9508.

A beautiful display of lights has been installed at Burgundy Restaurant in Hermanus as part of an initiative to raise funds for new festive lights for Hermanus. 

This project, spearheaded by René Hartslief, aims to create renewed interest and draw people into the Overstrand, just as the lights in Stanford did last year.

“The only way that we will be able to achieve this exciting, needle-moving initiative is by means of raising funds,” says René, “I would therefore like to ask every single resident and every local business in Hermanus to contribute and invest towards this project. We live in paradise! Let's showcase Hermanus to the world this festive season and light it up in a spectacular way. 

“Together we can achieve this, but we need everybody’s support as we have to raise an enormous amount of money in a short space of time. These lights are a long-term investment and every year we can add little by little. 

"Working together will enable all of us to take pride in showing off our beautiful town and enhancing our local and international visitors’ experience by creating a magical ambience during the summer holiday season. The spinoffs for Hermanus, I believe, will be considerable."

These new ‘Underwater Magic’ themed festive lights will be produced by the same company that did such a phenomenal job decorating Stanford last year, and will last in excess of 10 years. 

Should you be interested in donating to this fund, please contact René on 

083 648 8700. 

The lights are switched on at Burgundy Restaurant in the evenings when the sun starts to set at around 18:30. Be sure to go and have a look

Ilé Viljoen, Maya Tager, and Summer Thwaits from Grip Gymnastics in Hermanus have been selected to represent South Africa at the 13th annual FIG Acrobatic Gymnastics World Age Group Competition (WAGC), which takes place in Guimaraes, Portugal from 12 – 15 September 2024. WAGC forms part of the Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships which will run from 19 – 22 September this year.

The three young gymnasts will compete against 49 of the top groups in the world in the 12 – 18 Women's Group section. Keep an eye on Grip Gymnastics’ Facebook page for more updates and to watch them perform live.

Cllr Hybre Lombard, Ilé Viljoen, Summer Thwaits, Maya Tager, and Isabelle Carr (Grip Gymnastics coach and owner).