Mason masters gym duels

A STATE gymnastics champion at the age of nine, Mason Woelfle of Bendigo keeps racking up the flips and spins to master many moves.

Plenty of hours have been spent training at home, and in Prahran at the State Gymnastics Centre.

His dedication was rewarded by being number one All-Around and first on rings and parallel bars for Level 6U at the recently-run state championships in Geelong.

“It was really exciting,” Mason said of his first state title victory decided across six apparatus; vault, floor, horizontal bar, pommel horse, parallel bars, and rings.

“Rings and parallel bars are my best events, but I really like doing floor routines, too.”

Mason’s gymnastics journey began with Kinder Gym in Bendigo at age four.

There was no artistic gymnastics program in Bendigo, so a year later it was off to Ballarat to continue in the sport.

Once a week there was a three-hour return trek there for a four-hour training session.

Mason’s first competition was in October 2022 where he qualified for the state titles. He placed third in the All-Around in Level 4U. The-then eight-year-old trained four hours a week.

A big step for Mason was in January, 2023 when he was invited to train with the Men’s High Performance Program at the State Gymnastics Centre.

In April it was another state titles campaign in which he placed third All-Around in Level 5U.

He said there’s more work to do in the lead-up to the Southern Cross Classic in Geelong in October.

Support from his parents Stephanie and Michael, and also from grandparents, has played a big part in Mason’s gym journey which includes 12 hours driving and 10 hours of training per week.

There’s also the rings and parallel bar set up at home, and a trampoline.

Mason has now stepped up training as a Level 7U.

“To compete at next year’s national championships is a goal,” Mason said.

A highlight of the year will be watching the gymnastics at the Paris Olympics.

In a decade or so it may be Mason Woelfle who joins the Australian Olympic Team.