A young gymnast from Welwyn Garden City, who has a limb disability, has launched a campaign to get the sport into the Paralympics and achieve her dream of competing in the sport.
Seven-year-old Millie Sinnott has symbrachydactyly, a disability which causes shortened fingers, but this hasn't stopped her taking part in gymnastics for a number of years.
"She was born with symbrachydactyly. She’s got a thumb, but no palm or fingers on her left hand," explained her mum, Kathryn Sinnott.
"It hasn’t really impacted her life because she never let it stop her from doing anything.
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"She finds her own way of doing things and just powers through, and that’s always really amazed people."
After winning her first gymnastics trophy in June, Millie was determined to be a part of the sport and compete in the Paralympics.
But, she and her mum were shocked to find out it wasn't part of the games, and decided to take action.
They wrote to British Gymnastics and GB Paralympics, who are already discussing their campaign, while Welwyn Hatfield MP Grant Shapps has backed their efforts, and Reach, a charity which supports children with upper limb differences, has passed the issue on to its board of trustees.
"After winning her first trophy, she was really inspired to do Paralympic gymnastics, but she realised that’s not actually an option at the moment, because it’s not in the games," said Kathryn.
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"So, she’s started this campaign and things have gone a bit crazy. We’ve contacted so many people, and we are now in contact with someone who is really high up in British Gymnastics and is doing really great work on this.
"I think when a lot of people find out that there is no gymnastics in the Paralympics, they are shocked because it’s such a popular sport and one that Team GB has started doing really well in at the Olympics."
And while Millie hopes the campaign is successful so she can achieve her dreams, she wants to help others do the same, with Kathryn adding: "Getting gymnastics into the Paralympics would mean so much to Millie.
"When you’re a seven-year-old girl, you aim for the stars. For her to have a dream and not be able to achieve that because of other people is really sad.
"So she wants to do this for herself, but for other young girls as well, because if that’s their dream they should be able to aim for it like anyone else who doesn’t have a disability."
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